Despite Liverpool’s excellent display against Manchester United at the weekend, I still feel that if we are to compete for the title within the next few years, we will need a player in the guise of Javier Mascherano to really help the Reds break up attacks, not only against the best teams but also against the less talented, more physical opponents in the Barclays Premier League. Lucas has played very well for the last year but it is clear he will never be the most physical of holding midfield players. Although he can break up play and pass neatly, he will never outmuscle opponents. Certainly, this doesn’t mean we have to go for a like for like replacement for Mascherano but for me, to give us a different option to Lucas, we need somebody who is both physically up the challenge but also able on the ball to the pass the ball like the Brazilian. The five options below have all been linked with us in the past couple of months. Who would you pick?

Moussa Sissoko – Probably the prime candidate for the Reds for a few reasons. 1) He is strong and physical, making him the ideal defensive midfielder to break up play and outmuscle opponents. 2) He has played further forward over the last couple of seasons for Toulouse and has scored his fair share of goals, giving the player an added dimension to the rest of the players on the list. 3) He is young, talented and French meaning Damien Comolli will know all about Sissoko, and will no doubt have scouted the player on a number of occasions.

Yann M’Vila – Another young French star who has probably caught the eye of Comolli is Rennes’ holding midfield player M’Vila. Tall and rangy, he is an excellent tackler but lacks the forward thinking ambitions of Sissoko. Despite this though, France coach Laurent Blanc has used the 20 year old regularly in the national team and impressed playing for France against England back in November.

Blaise Matuidi – Another young Frenchman, Matuidi has most likely been linked with Liverpool due to Comolli’s prior association with St Etienne. Still he is the club’s captain at the age of 23 and has already been capped by France. Considering Comolli has stated he wouldn’t buy players off St Etienne however, it is unlikely the Reds will move for the player, although he maybe a cheaper option than the rest of the players on this list.

Lassana Diarra – Probably the least likely player to move to Liverpool on this list as in recent weeks, he has been back in favour with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. If the Portuguese manager does depart in the summer though, the French midfielder may opt to leave the Bernabeu if Real’s hierarchy deem him surplus to requirements. A talented holding midfielder with experience of the Premier League, as well as having the capability to get forward, if Diarra was available he would probably cost a significant amount more than the other 4 on this list.

Fernando Gago – More in the mould of Lucas than the rest of the players on this list, the Argentine holding midfielder has been linked with a move away from Spain. His agent today failed to rule out a move away from Real Madrid, and with Gago being both young and talented; the Reds have been linked with the player. Whenever I have watched the player play for Real though, I feel he wouldn’t necessarily be the type of midfield destroyer we would be looking for.

Read more of David articles at the excellent Live4Liverpool

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