Liverpool Transfer Rumors: Mark Davies Not Enough to Revamp Reds' Midfield

Liverpool is set to go after Bolton Wanderers’ center midfielder Mark Davies, but Brendan Rodgers will have to add more than just Davies to cure the Reds’ midfield woes.

According to the Daily Mail, the new Liverpool boss has missed out on top-choice Gylfi Sigurdsson, who will sign with Tottenham for £8 million. Now, Mirror Football is reporting that Rodgers is trying to take Davies away from Bolton for £6 million. 

Davies is a versatile central midfielder who can play just behind the strikers or further back down the pitch. He also featured on the wing for Bolton at times. 

But Liverpool’s problems in the midfield are not on the wing or with the holding midfielders. The team needs a player who can sit behind the strikers and threaten defenses and as a scorer or a distributor. 

The Reds relied on Jordan Henderson in this role last year, and he contributed just two goals and one assist in 37 English Premier League appearances. 

Sigurdsson was the ideal candidate to fill the void, as he notched seven goals and three assists in just 18 EPL matches for Swansea. 

Davies, in contrast, recorded just four goals and no assists in his 35 league games at Bolton this past season. 

Bolton had plenty of problems this year, which led to its relegation, and Davies’ lack of production is not entirely his own fault. But at 24 years old, he cannot be considered a prospect anymore. He is close to the age where he should be having the most productive seasons of his career. 

Davies is a talented player who could contribute solid minutes in the midfield. However, it would be entirely unsurprising if he were every bit as ineffective as Henderson. 

Davies is not an expensive transfer, so Rodgers would be smart to sign him and add depth to the midfield. Still, the Rodgers has more work to do in order to solve the problems that led to an eighth-place finish in the Premiership this past season. 

Liverpool desperately needs a player who can score goals while playing behind Luis Suarez and Andy Carrol, but also feed quality passes through to the strikers. 

Davies’ production does not indicate that he is the type of player who can be the difference in the midfield for the Reds. If Rodgers wants to see improvement from last season, he must add another midfielder in addition to the Bolton man.