Liverpool appears to be undergoing somewhat of a transitional season this term as Jurgen Klopp’s men are struggling in the Premier League, although they are still riding high in the Champions League.

Injuries haven’t helped their cause, with the midfield area seemingly bearing the brunt of the number of players out, with Klopp having to constantly rejig his team and this lack of consistency has led to poor results domestically.

The failure to add anyone other than Arthur Melo – who was a desperate deadline day signing – to the midfield is coming back to haunt Klopp, especially when he should have splashed out on a Spanish youngster who is destined for greatness…

Gavi is the perfect Jordan Henderson heir

Liverpool were willing to pay the Barcelona youngsters £42.5m release clause in June with his contract scenario up in arms, however, he has since signed a new deal until 2026 with the Catalan club.

This shouldn’t deter Klopp however, as the 18-year-old could be a perfect long-term Henderson replacement. The Liverpool captain – who will be 33 next June – may have just a few years left at the top and with the Englishman missing 23 matches since the start of 2021, these niggles might become more commonplace.

Barcelona manager Xavi once described Gavi as an “erupting volcano” and his meteoritic rise from La Masia to shining in the first team has been incredible.

The Spaniard had his breakthrough season last year, playing 34 La Liga matches and chipping in with seven-goal contributions (two goals and five assists) displaying his talents at the highest level.

The £113k-per-week star is a much more attack-minded midfielder than Henderson.

Compared to positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, Gavi ranks in the top 3% for dribbles completed per match (1.88), the top 5% for both touches in the opposition penalty area (3.17), and for progressive passes received (4.39).

Meanwhile, Henderson ranks outside the top 22% for the same performance indicators and that proves exactly why the 18-year-old should be top of Klopp’s list of signings.

The youngster has also been selected for Spain’s World Cup squad and if he shines at the tournament, this might push his value up significantly, with CIES Football Observatory already estimating his worth to be at a whopping €160m (£140m).

January might come too soon for any potential move, however the Liverpool faithful will surely be looking forward to next summer, where there could well be one or two exciting additions to the squad.