There is a chance, perhaps a good chance, that the starting midfield for Liverpool next year looks different. Much different. In fact, perhaps all 3 midfielders who start for Jürgen Klopp next year are players that are not currently on Liverpool's roster.
Let's start with the current midfield of Jordan Henderson, Emre Can, and Philippe Coutinho. Due to injury, Coutinho has been used up front on attack but this is the ideal midfield currently. So why would there be a complete swap of these players next year? For one, the Coutinho to Barcelona talk has not ended with the close of the summer transfer window. In fact, if anything the rumors of Coutinho making the move to Spain are growing. Surely, Coutinho is not happy staying in England and sitting mid-table. There is a lot of season left, but Coutinho's dreams of moving to Barcelona have not quieted, and his agents have apparently stayed in talks with Barcelona. When news that PSG were also interested in Coutinho, the story was that Coutinho still had Barcelona as his first choice. Those stories are coming directly from the Coutinho camp. Barcelona, for their part, have also not rested in their apparent pursuit of the Brazilian. The only hurdle left is the Liverpool resolve. It has long been thought that Liverpool would be willing to move Coutinho only after an adequate replacement was brought in. And, with Barcelona's interest during the summer coming so late in the window, Liverpool previously did not have the time to find such a replacement. It is understandable to believe that Liverpool realized his desire to move away from Anfield would not end and their pursuit of a replacement continued.
That brings us to Emre Can. He also was a summer transfer target, this time by Juventus. Although that deal also did not transpire, the talk of a move continued. Factor in that Emre Can has refused to sign a new contract with Liverpool it seems more and more likely that he will leave the club.......either in a winter transfer move or for free at the end of the year.
Finally, we have the Captain, Jordan Henderson. Perhaps it is not fair to the skipper as he is asked to play a defensive, holding midfield position that he clearly is not suited for. Would he be more valuable as a second-half substitute for the club?
We already know at least one new midfielder is coming to Anfield for next season in Naby Keita. We also know that Liverpool pursued Thomas Lemar, perhaps as a potential Coutinho replacement. Would Klopp have sold the Brazilian if he was able to land Lemar? We won't know as that didn't finalize, but apparently Lemar also had interest in Liverpool. More recently, Liverpool have been linked to Julian Draxler as an ideal midfielder to fill the void of Coutinho leaving.
Currently playing in France for PSG, the 24 year-old is an exciting playmaker. Known for his ability to use both feet, his pace, and the power of his shot, Draxler is also on the radar of Arsenal and Real Madrid. Because his opportunities at PSG have been limited since the arrival of Neymar, Julian Draxler could be open to a move to Anfield. If so, he may be an ideal swap for Coutinho which would also leave Liverpool with a surplus of transfer dollars.
The midfield position Liverpool desperately need is at central midfield. Without a true CDM, Klopp has used both Henderson and Emre Can at the holding midfield position with limited success. Because of Klopp's aggressive attacking style, coupled with Liverpool's lack of quality in the back, a defensive midfielder is a huge need. Geoffrey Kondogbia would fill that need perfectly. The 24 year-old French footballer currently plays for Valencia on transfer. In addition to CDM, Kondogbia could also play as a central defender or left back which would give Klopp more versatility. In recent weeks Liverpool sent scouts to Spain to watch Kondogbia and came away impressed. They were not alone as Tottenham scouts have also been monitoring the Frenchman. Valencia have Kondogbia on loan from Inter MIlan and have a £22million option to buy him at the end of the season. Liverpool and Tottenham will both keep an eye on this saga and will be ready to pounce if that deal does not take place.
We already know that Naby Keita will be arriving at Anfield next summer and will factor into Klopp's midfield plans next season. And with the ongoing transfer dramas involving both Coutinho and Emre Can, additional changes may be coming. Which unit is better? To be fair, there is a lot of speculation here discussing next year's midfield. Perhaps Liverpool do not land Draxler and he instead goes to Real Madrid. Kondogbia is probably as likely if not more likely to stay with Valencia. But if Liverpool were able to bring them in that group would definitely get the nod over the current midfield. They would be much stronger defensively, providing more support for the back four, while still having the attacking capabilities that Klopp demands.
Will it happen? Noone can say at this point. But what we can say is that the current starting midfield today will not be what we see starting the 2018-2019 campaign.