Liverpool need a defensive midfielder, and everybody knows it. You know it. I know it. They know it. Chelsea know it. Brighton know it. Southampton know it. Jurgen Klopp said it, too.
"It's not surprising we are looking for that position," he said. "It's clear and would be great if we could do something, but for now we can do a lot of things. ... We can adapt the system and have options. But yeah, it would be absolutely great if we could [sign one]."
And this was before Sunday, when Liverpool drew 1-1 with Chelsea, looked brilliant for the first 30 minutes, and then smashed headfirst into the uncomfortable fact that you can have the most talented attacking team in the world, but none of that matters if you can't get the ball and can't keep the ball. They left Stamford Bridge with 35% of the possession -- a lower figure than they recorded in any game last season against a team not named Manchester City.
They agreed to what would have been a record fee for Brighton's Moisés Caicedo, only for the player to opt for Chelsea. Then they dragged their feet in the negotiations for Romeo Lavia, only for him to also reportedly opt for Chelsea.
There are two weeks left in the transfer window, and Liverpool do not have a true holding midfielder on their roster. What can they do?
Well, here's an idea: What if they just completely ignored the position all together?