5 Possible Replacements Should Liverpool Sell Lucas Leiva

Lucas Leiva is one Liverpool player linked with a move away from Merseyside every transfer window. So if he is sold this summer, who should the Reds replace him with?

The 28-year-old is a hugely dependable option for manager Brendan Rodgers, and an important member of the dressing room—in particular with accommodating Liverpool's various South American stars—but he has suffered with debilitating injury issues over the past few seasons.

The Liverpool Echo's James Pearce, speaking to Fresh Liverpool (h/t This is Anfield) last week, offered his opinion on the Brazilian's situation on Merseyside, saying: "I don’t think anything is cut and dried with Lucas."

A perennial potential departure, Lucas' role as Liverpool's defensive midfielder would be an important one to fill should he leave this summer.

Here are five possible replacements for the long-serving Anfield stalwart.

Ignacio Camacho (Malaga)

Sergio Camacho/Getty Images

It is a surprise that 25-year-old Spanish defensive midfielder is still with La Liga mid-table outfit Malaga, given he has produced three hugely impressive seasons operating at the base of their midfield.

Camacho has the ability to perform at a top-six Premier League side.

Strong in the tackle, great in the air despite his 5'11" frame and possessing a high level of perception, Camacho is attuned to breaking up play from deep.

However, the former Atletico Madrid man is fairly similar to Lucas in that he is relatively limited in terms of his possession play—he is more a bustling defensive-midfield dynamo than a measured Sergio Busquets-type.

Nevertheless, if Lucas was to depart this summer, Camacho would be an interesting, likely low-cost option for Rodgers to explore.

Gary Medel (Inter Milan)

Luis Hidalgo/Associated Press

Sometimes the most important characteristic of a successful defensive midfielder is intimidation, and the tough-tackling Gary Medel of Inter Milan is one of those brutish types that could truly thrive at the right Premier League club.

Of course, it didn't go that way with his one season on the books at Cardiff City—but it can be argued that the rest of the Bluebirds' 2013/14 squad didn't match Medel's top-flight calibre.

At Inter, and with Chile, Medel has resumed his status as the snarling, uncompromising destroyer that he made his name with Sevilla.

Adept at breaking up play and laying it off short, with an incredible average passing accuracy of 91.8 percent in last season's Serie A, Medel would be a useful no-nonsense option for the Reds, and arguably an upgrade on Lucas.

With Inter having signed the supreme Geoffrey Kondogbia this summer, Medel could be available—if so, Liverpool should move to sign him.

Victor Wanyama (Southampton)

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Another Southampton player? The tired jokes would never end.

But if Liverpool were to sign Victor Wanyama, it would be worth every jibe—the Kenyan is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.

Something of a midpoint between the box-to-box and destroyer specifications of defensive midfielder, Wanyama is perhaps best suited to a deep-lying, ball-winning role—largely due to his tackling prowess.

Currently partnering the more technically adept Morgan Schneiderlin in an all-conquering, two-strong midfield base for Ronald Koeman's Saints, Wanyama's destroyer tendencies complement the Frenchman's finesse perfectly, suggesting he would be a complimentary figure to the more swashbuckling Emre Can at Liverpool.

Wanyama, who only has 55 Premier League appearances under his belt having moved to Southampton from Celtic just two seasons ago, can only get even better.

Maxime Gonalons (Lyon)

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Though the goalscoring exploits of Alexandre Lacazette have garnered the most attention, the performances of Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons were one of the key factors behind Lyon's second-placed Ligue 1 finish and automatic Champions League qualification in 2014/15.

He is an all-round midfield phenomenon.

Able to burst from box to box with pace, create plays with an accomplished passing range, break up opposing attacks with force and read the game to the standard of Michael Carrick, Gonalons has all of the qualities required to succeed in the defensive-midfield role in the Premier League.

"Gonalons is the player on whom the future of the club should be built," Lyon manager Hubert Fournier said on his arrival at the club last summer, according to FourFourTwo.

Fournier is right: Gonalons is the perfect player to build around as the midfield base.

Allan (Udinese)

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Another player whose skill as a defensive player isn't the be-all and end-all of his output, Udinese's Allan Marques Loureiro, like Gonalons, offers dynamism to match his ball-winning prowess.

Writing for FourFourTwo earlier this year, Alasdair Mackenzie described Allan as "the linchpin of his team."

"Allan is by no means in the destroyer mould of defensive midfield players," Mackenzie continues.

"The influence of his home nation has not completely bypassed the 24-year-old, and his comfort on the ball and excellent dribbling ability are as central to his repertoire as his superb timing in the tackle and lung-busting work-rate."

That is the type of linchpin the Reds require to function as a fluid, all-round system.

A move from Udine to Liverpool would suit Allan, who at just 24 years old has the potential to grow into a truly top-level talent.

Statistics via WhoScored.com.

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