Assessing Liverpool target Florentino and why he'd be Fabinho's ideal replacement

 

Liverpool's decision to leave Fabinho out of their 32-man that travelled to Germany for pre-season last week all but spells the end of the Brazilian's time at Anfield. Fabinho is set to be the latest player to make the move to Saudi Arabia, with Al-Ittihad believed to be closing in on the the 29-year-old. 

 

At the end of the season, few would have expected the Brazil international to depart the Reds. Yes a midfield revamp was required, but the general consensus was that Fabinho would be the one to help bridge the gap between the old guard and the new. And yet, the former Monaco man's time on Merseyside is set to end this summer, and thus begins the quest to land Fabinho's replacement. 

 

The Reds have already invested heavily in the middle of the park in the off-season. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have joined from Brighton and RB Leipzig, respectively, yet the departure of James Milner and impending exits of Fabinho and Thiago, coupled with rumours of Jordan Henderson's potential move away, means Liverpool need to dip into the market for at least one more central midfielder before the season starts next month. 

 

Romeo Lavia remains a top target, but a designated ball winner with European experience would ease the pressure on the Belgian to make an immediate impact at Anfield. Having lost one key central midfielder this year, Benfica would be reluctant to lose another in 2023, but reports suggest Florentino Luis has been identified as the ideal Fabinho replacement. 

 

The 23-year-old was key in Benfica's title success last season, and his performances in the middle of the park for Roger Schmidt's side have not gone unnoticed by a number of Europe's big hitters. Liverpool, though, will hope to leap to the front of the queue for Florentino once Fabinho's exit is confirmed. 

 

Florentino's career may still be in its infancy, but he has plenty of European experience having been sent out on loan to French side Monaco and La Liga outfit Getafe in recent years. In addition, he was crucial in Benfica's progression to the Champions League quarter-finals last season, so the Portuguese side will be reluctant to lose the Portuguese star this summer. 

 

As such, reports suggest that interested parties would have to pay his £103m release clause, just as Chelsea needed to do back in January to land Fernandez. That being said, if Liverpool are looking to really sort their midfield issues, then Florentino could be the perfect addition in the middle of the park. 

 

First and foremost, they'll need to land a ball winner, and Florentino carries out this duty expertly. He has developed statistically calculated WhoScored strengths of both 'tackling' and 'ball interception', the former deserved having finished the 2022/23 Liga Bwin campaign third for tackles per 90 (3.5). In addition, only Braga's Paulo Oliveira (3) averaged more interceptions per 90 than Florentino (2.7) in Portugal's top tier last term, to reinforce the hard work he carries when his side are not in possession. 

 

 

What was all the more impressive still was that Benfica returned the best possession average (63.6%) in Liga Bwin last term. Both metrics are ones that would usually be dominated by players who operate for teams that see little of ball, but Florentino was hellbent on winning the ball for his side on the rare occasion that Benfica weren't in possession, which speaks volumes of the midfielder's desire to get his side back on the frontfoot as quickly as possible. 

 

This would be a boost for a Liverpool side that often looks to get the ball upfield as quickly as possible when they do get back in possession. Only Manchester United (9) scored more counter-attacking goals than the Reds (7) in the Premier League last season, with Jurgen Klopp's side seeking to rapidly transition from defence to attack to capitalise on opponents committing men forward. Florentino in theory would be a good fit at the base of the Liverpool midfield, especially if Klopp does seek to use Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield more frequently next season. 

 

As such, finding the right player to effectively partner Trent at the base of what may be a box midfield when Liverpool are in possession is key. Not only is Florentino an astute ball winner in the middle of the park, but he is more than capable of finding a teammate to help turn defence into attack. Indeed, Florentino ranked fourth for passes per 90 (77.9) and ninth for pass success rate (90.1%) in Liga Bwin last season and while he doesn't offer much in the final third, that he is more than capable of winning the ball and making the simple passes to his offensive minded teammates is what's key. 

 

Fabinho's decision to swap England for Saudi Arabia may have caught Liverpool off guard, but they have a chance now to accelerate their midfield ravamp. A lack of experience in midfield may well hinder the Reds, but in the long run; bringing in a rumoured £40m for a player who turns 30 in October is not to be scoffed at. As for his replacement, Florentino could be ideal, though Liverpool would have to negotiate with Benfica to bring the reported fee down.

Assessing Liverpool target Florentino and why he'd be Fabinho's ideal replacement