Liverpool have been urged to break the bank again and sign an elite LaLiga midfielder, who is as ‘near to Steven Gerrard’ as it gets, this summer, although that could be far easier said than done.

Having splashed out more than ￡400million on new signings last summer, headlined by deals for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, owners FSG are being told to go big again by landing one of the best midfielders in European football.

That’s despite the Liverpoolmidfield arguably been the most settled area of their team, although continued Real Madridinterest in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai does give pause for thought about the Anfield engine room going forward.

Interest from the Spanish giants in the Liverpool duo comes amid continued Premier League fascination with Bernabeu star Federico Valverde, although it’s Manchester United and not Liverpool who have shown more concrete interest in the Uruguay international to date.

Indeed, Spanish reports in February claimed that the 27-year-old has a ￡114m ‘offer on the table’ from United and would ‘accept’ on one condition.

However, former Liverpool star Danny Murphy believes his old should prioritise a leader in the centre of the pitch, pointing to Valverde as the perfect fit.

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Speaking in association with Spreadex Sports, Murphy highlighted the Real star’s physical presence, leadership and all-round ability, while also comparing him to Anfield legend Gerrard.

He said: “Call me old fashioned, but I’d be going for someone in the middle of the pitch who is a leader. Someone everyone can look up to. A bit like Szoboszlai has done this season.

“I always look at Federico Valverde at Madrid. If they could get him, he’s everything. He’s as near to Gerrard as I’ve seen – he’s got wonderful athleticism and he can do everything.

“He’s not as good as Gerrard, but he’s a phenomenal player.”

There was a caveat to Murphy’s comments, though, with the former England man?acknowledging that getting Valverde out of Madrid would be extremely difficult.

He added: “They might not be able to get him out, but someone like that who can walk through the door and grasp it. There’s no risk with a signing like that, even if it costs ￡100 million.”

That ￡100m might be a touch below the mark when it comes to any club trying to sign Valverde, with a figure more in the region of ￡120m likely to at least make Real consider a sale.

However, the player himself appeared to pour cold water on the chances of him leaving the Bernabeu any time soon in a recent interview with Marca.

The midfielder said: “I’m very happy to be part of this team, it’s an honour to have these teammates and to keep improving as a team.

“Wearing it (the captain’s armband) is fantastic. I try to bring out my best, and in recent matches it’s been difficult not to do so.

“I train to bring out the best in myself. I appreciate the support of my teammates, who always make me smile, and the coaching staff for trusting in me.”

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