With Liverpool seemingly on the lookout for a new central midfielder following links to Barcelona’s Pedri and Ryan Gravenberch of Ajax, the Reds will reflect on selling one of Europe’s most creative players in 2016 as a huge error.

Having been at Lazio since 2016, Luis Alberto has developed into a hugely impressive midfielder, showing an ability that would simply not have seemed possible after he was jettisoned from Anfield for a paltry fee of just £4.3m.

Having made just 12 appearances in his Liverpool career, he is certainly a player that the Reds could do with now.

In 167 appearances for the Serie A giants, the 28-year-old has scored 34 goals and provided another 46 assists – an excellent rate of output.

Whilst he has not been as creative throughout the 2020/21 campaign, he has still managed to find the back of the net on eight occasions in the league.

It is form that has seen Alberto draw plenty of praise, specifically from legendary Italy manager Marcello Lippi, who labelled the Spaniard as “extraordinary”.

[snack-amp-story url="https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-gravenberch-keita-mane-williams-kabak" title="Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more..."]

For comparison, current Reds’ midfielder Thiago could only rack up 22 goals and 23 assists with Bayern Munich in the same time period that Alberto has been in Italy. It could be suggested then that Liverpool brought the wrong Spaniard to Anfield.

Despite that, the cost of Alberto’s departure will be the main aspect that will wrangle with the Liverpool hierarchy.

Having departed for his paltry fee, the former Barcelona B midfielder is now rated at £45m and despite it being reported that the Reds would be owed 30% of any potential transfer fee should Alberto leave the Stadio Olimpico, it is not quite the huge windfall that they would otherwise be entitled to.

In all respects then, the sale of the Spaniard in 2016 looks like a huge transfer blunder by Liverpool.

AND in more news, take a look at which Premier League star Liverpool must swoop for...