An update has emerged on Liverpool's search for further reinforcements in the middle of the park ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?
According to Football Insider, the Reds are exploring the possibility of a swoop to sign Crystal Palace central midfielder Cheick Doucoure during the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Jurgen Klopp could snap the impressive battler, who joined the Eagles from Lens for £21m last year, as a replacement for Fabinho.
Liverpool's Brazil international has been the subject of a £40m offer from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad Club and The Guardian have claimed that it is 'likely' the former AS Monaco star moves on from Anfield.
The Mersey giants have already made two additions to their midfield ranks this summer, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister both having been signed on permanent deals to bolster the manager's options in that area of the pitch.
How good is Cheick Doucoure?
Klopp could secure a masterstroke by selling the ageing Fabinho and replacing him with Doucoure heading into next season as the Palace titan's performances last term suggest that he has the quality to be a big upgrade on the Brazilian.
Liverpool would be signing a player who has already proven themselves in the Premier League, as opposed to someone from a foreign league who may or may not be able to adapt to English football. This could allow him to hit the ground running in August instead of needing a period to adjust to the division.
Doucoure averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 34 top-flight matches for Roy Hodgson's side last season, which placed him fourth within their squad.
Fabinho, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.87 over 36 league matches for the Reds, which was the 13th-highest score in the team.
Defensively, the Mali international came out on top with an impressive 3.9 tackles and interceptions per match, compared to the former Ligue 1 ace's 2.8 per outing. In fact, no Liverpool player – in any position – made more than Doucoure's 1.6 interceptions per game.
This suggests that the Palace enforcer, who was once hailed as a "complete" player by his former Eagles boss Patrick Vieira, has the defensive quality to be a destroyer in midfield for Liverpool.
He can constantly disrupt the play by cutting out opposition attacks on a regular basis, which means that the talented ace can protect the back four.
The 23-year-old tank could ease some of the pressure on the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate by winning possession back for the Reds before the ball gets that far. Whereas, Fabinho made interventions less frequently throughout the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which suggests that he is not as effective in such a role.
This is also backed up by the fact that the Brazil international was dribbled past more times per game (1.1) than Doucoure was for Palace (0.7).
Opposition players found it easier to bypass the Liverpool defensive midfielder whilst the Palace powerhouse was able to put his foot in to stop them from going past him.
Therefore, Klopp could land a big upgrade on Fabinho by signing Doucoure before the end of the summer transfer window.
