Liverpool's Midfield Dilemma: Orozco Ruled Out

Liverpool’s search for midfield steel will not lead them to Colombia’s latest prodigy, with Matias Orozco now effectively ruled out as an Anfield option and handed what’s been described as a “zero per cent chance” of joining the club.

Carragher sounds the alarm in midfield

The debate over Liverpool’s engine room has intensified after a chaotic opening under Andoni Iraola. A late rescue act at St. James’ Park masked a disjointed display, and the spotlight has swung straight onto the centre of the pitch.

Jamie Carragher did not hold back. Assessing the draw with Newcastle United, the former Liverpool defender picked apart the balance of the midfield, questioning Ryan Gravenberch’s positioning and insisting Dominik Szoboszlai cannot anchor a double pivot.

“I think Liverpool do need someone alongside Gravenberch,” Carragher said, before stressing that the answer is not just a destroyer who only tackles and screens. For him, the bar is higher.

“If you play for one of the top teams in the world, like Liverpool are, you need to be able to get hold of the ball: but I want someone in [the midfield] who can run, and I just think Szoboszlai has to go to the no.10.”

The message was clear: Liverpool need a runner, a controller, a specialist in that deep role. Just not, it seems, Orozco.

Orozco off Liverpool’s table as Premier League pack circles

Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra has poured cold water on talk of Orozco heading to Merseyside, stating that the 18-year-old will not be moving to Liverpool. That closes the door on a link that had gathered pace in recent weeks.

The Barranquilla-born playmaker forced his way into Deportivo Cali’s first team last season, quickly building a reputation as a deep-lying organiser with vision beyond his years. Local outlet VBar Caracol had gone as far as suggesting he was close to a switch to Liverpool, hinting at a rapid leap from Colombia to the Premier League.

That now looks premature. The Anfield route has been shut down, but the race for his signature is far from over.

• Bournemouth
• Crystal Palace
• Newcastle United
• Everton
• Aston Villa
• Fulham
• Manchester City

have all been named as admirers of the teenager, underlining how widely he has been scouted. Leeds United and Brentford have also been floated as potential destinations, adding a Championship and mid-table Premier League angle to a crowded field.

City, for their part, have already moved decisively in the same market. They have just wrapped up a deal for Palmeiras winger Allen, another South American wonderkid, underlining a clear strategy of hoovering up elite talent early.

Liverpool look wide, not deep

While the Orozco avenue closes, Liverpool’s recruitment drive appears to be heading in a different direction entirely. The club are closing in on Yankuba Minteh, with the winger expected to bolster the attacking options, and Bradley Barcola has been linked throughout the window as another wide target.

So the picture is stark. Carragher is calling for a dynamic, disciplined partner for Gravenberch. The current marquee signing in midfield is Florian Wirtz. Both full-backs are under scrutiny. The team looks short of balance in front of the back line.

Yet the next arrivals are likely to be wingers, not deep-lying midfielders, and one of South America’s most intriguing young playmakers is heading elsewhere.

Liverpool’s midfield problem is obvious. The solution, for now, is anything but.