Former Premier League player Robbie Savage has pushed Liverpool to make a January approach for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha.

Despite investing big this summer on four new midfielders, the Reds’ defensive options in the engine room are limited. Alexis MacAllister has been placed further back, away from his preferred position higher forward, while Wataru Endo has primarily been utilized in cup events thus far. Stefan Bajcetic is still recovering from an injury.

Mac Allister is certainly not a long-term solution in the deeper role, as evidenced by his involvement in the blunders that led to his previous team Brighton taking the lead against Liverpool on Sunday, as well as the fact that he is presently conceding approximately a goal per game on average.

A natural shift may be required for Jurgen Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0’ to get the most out of Mac Allister and move closer to consistent clean sheets.

Palhinha of Fulham could be the answer. Yes, argues Savage, sure that the Portugal international is exactly what Anfield requires.

“He’s a fantastic player.” He was supposed to travel to Bayern, but the deal fell through. “Excellent player,” the analyst said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Liverpool have done well in those areas; there is more dynamism.” [Dominik] Szoboszlai and Mac Allister are terrific additions, and recruitment has been strong, which I believe has largely gone unnoticed.

“But I think Palhinha would be a fantastic fit for Liverpool.”

The aborted move alluded to by the 48-year-old was vaguely linked to Ryan Gravenberch’s deadline-day signing. While the Reds were overjoyed to have secured their man, Bayern Munich wanted to use the proceeds from the Dutchman’s sale to bring in Palhinha. Instead, the procedure ended in disappointment because they were unable to complete the move in time.

While the Fulham man has shown himself over the course of a Premier League season as well as at international level, his age of 28 brings into question the value of buying a player close to 30 for his reputed £60 million asking price.

Instead, Liverpool have been widely linked with 22-year-old Fluminese prodigy Andre Trindade, who will only become available after his club’s Copa Libertadores season concludes next month.