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Liverpool expanded their shortlist by adding a new name.

Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad has been added by Liverpool to their shortlist for the midfield position.
Harry Siuu
By: Harry Siuu

Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad has been added by Liverpool to their shortlist for the midfield position.

That is stated on the rudygaletti.com website of Italian journalist Rudy Galetti. Galetti claims that Merino is included on a list "full of names" for Jurgen Klopp that also includes players like Youri Tielemans and Piotr Zielinski. According to reports, Jude Bellingham is now sitting pretty at the top of this shortlist. Real Madrid, though, is reportedly still in "pole position" to sign the 19-year-old.

Two additional names that are rumored to be on Liverpool's radar are Sofyan Amrabat and Moises Caicedo. Merino has supposedly entered the picture below those two. Although Merino would seem like a bit of a strange choice for Liverpool, he wouldn't necessarily be a negative addition. They could be shocked by that if they only follow the Premier League. After all, Merino was a complete failure when playing for Newcastle United.

Mikel Merino is Kloop's target

Following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in the North East, Merino was anticipated to accomplish great things. Even The Chronicle's Mick Quinn linked his demise to that of legendary Liverpool player Xabi Alonso, calling him "tremendous." Merino, however, only appeared 25 times for Newcastle for whatever reason. After just one season, he was transferred to Real Sociedad for almost £10 million.

The 26-year-old has significantly improved his performance since then. Merino has established himself as a major member of La Real, taking home the Copa Del Rey and 11 caps for his native Spain. All in all, he might be worth more than his rumored £50 million release clause. Although the Alonso parallels were exaggerated, Merino might still be a nice match for Liverpool. He fits the bill to provide their midfield the necessary steel that they so urgently need. Wait and see if anything more specific happens.

Jurgen Klopp may have regretted emergency Liverpool

Liverpool has already acquired attacker Cody Gakpo in a deal worth an initial £37 million during the open January transfer window. Fans have been clamoring for Jurgen Klopp to sign a midfielder next because Liverpool has struggled there for the majority of this season. But Klopp and the FSG era have always been known for waiting for the ideal signing. Jude Bellingham is a clear target, and the summer appears to be the time for this conflict to take place. However, a lot of fans think the club should make a concession and hire someone right away who could at least assist for the remainder of current season. However, that might be easier said than done, and Liverpool hasn't made many moves like that in recent years.

Steven Caulker was Liverpool's flop

On this day in January 2016, Klopp signed Steven Caulker on a loan in an effort to fill a short-term player shortage. However, the Reds' manager would subsequently claim in the public that he had acted quickly when he increased his ranks. Dejan Lovren, Martin Skrtel, and Mamadou Sakho were all out due to injuries at the time, leaving the Reds with only veteran Kolo Toure as their senior center-back option.

While the less-noticed Tiago Ilori and undesirable left-back Jose Enrique had been the center-back partnership days before Caulker's appearance against Exeter City in the FA Cup, Lucas Leiva was given the burden of performing an unfamiliar role as a temporary fix. However, a few weeks later, Klopp had a wide range of choices.

Caulker only played four times for Liverpool, accumulating just a few minutes in the Premier League. During each of those games, the defender was infamously utilized as a makeshift striker. Two unused replacement appearances in February were the closest he came to playing for the balance of his short-lived Reds career. His first start and only appearance at center-back came in an FA Cup draw with West Ham United at the end of January.

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Harry Siuu
Written by: Harry Siuu
a specialized football specialist with over ten years' experience as a football journalist who works for Betimate.com.

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