Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly be whirring the cogs in his head at full force as he looks to devise a solution to the club’s current woes, and might delve into the transfer market for a signing to make an instant impact. 

With prolific forward Cody Gakpo already sealed several weeks ago, joining from PSV Eindhoven on an initial £35m deal, the onus appears to be firmly on the centre of the park, with a raft of potential signatures within the transfer discussion. 

One potentially shrewd acquisition comes in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, with the assiduous ace out of contract at the end of next season and consequently touted for an exit this year, with the Old Gold possibly seeking to recuperate the reported £15m fee that secured his services from homeland outfit FC Porto in 2018. 

A few days ago, according to Football Insider, the Reds have identified Neves as an alternative to West Ham United’s Declan Rice, who has been heavily touted with a move away from east London across recent weeks. 

With Liverpool technical director Julian Ward holding a purse with scant funds to bolster the squad further, a move for the Portuguese midfielder might indeed be the most prudent avenue to delve down. 

Performances on the pitch are indeed a glaring indication that the current crop at Anfield are failing to match their manager’s aspirations, with the dejecting results partnered by a stark decline in intensity and cohesion following a preceding campaign that saw the Merseyside outfit clinch the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. 

Fresh talent is paramount, and in the 25-year-old machine, Liverpool could recharge the batteries and steer the ship back on course before facing the business end of the season with resources that might prove to be inefficient in the fight for Champions League football next season. 

The "beast" that is Neves - as hailed by ex-USMNT star Jimmy Conrad - has made 236 appearances for Wolves since his arrival, and this season has recorded a commendable average Premier League rating of 7.27, as per Sofascore, completing 84% of his passes, making 2.6 tackles and 2.4 clearances from his sweeping role in the centre.

The club might be mulling over signing the industrious maestro in the summer, but his inclusion for the remainder of the current campaign could replicate the success the club had in the early stages of Klopp's tenure in signing Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75m, in a deal that served as the catalyst for a prosperous era for the distinguished outfit. 

Van Dijk indeed arrived with a weight of expectation following the lucrative fee, but duly lived up to it with his mesmeric defensive performances and supreme leadership and composure, a central figure in monumentally winning the Premier League and Champions League, among a host of further trophies.

And joining in a January window himself, his profound impact on his side could be something that the £58k-per-week Neves could also harness, indeed bolstering the midfield ranks with his tenacious approach and unwavering physicality.

As such, Klopp would be wise to push for a deal before the culmination of the January window in less than two weeks; while perhaps not the same calibre of signing, the impact that Neves could make at Anfield would emulate Van Dijk’s legendary signing, instilling abundant confidence and fluidity and mapping the way to prominence once again.