Liverpool’s Missing Link: Why Signing a Defensive Midfielder Must Be the Top Priority

Without a true number six, Liverpool’s midfield balance is broken.

Why Defensive Midfielders Still Hold the Key

There’s a strange comfort I get when watching a player who truly understands the number six role. Maybe it’s because, tactically, everything flows through them or maybe it’s because they’re the ones who, without fanfare, often make the biggest difference. Defensive midfielders, DMs, Sixes, whatever you call them, they remain the most undervalued, yet vital, part of a successful side.

We’ve all spent years talking about creative tens, dominant centre-backs, and goal machines up front, but for clubs like Liverpool and others looking to challenge again, the conversation has to come back to the player who anchors it all and right now, that role feels like it’s in flux.

Spotting a Six, What Makes a DM Stand Out?

Let’s get something clear from the outset. A good defensive midfielder doesn’t need to be flashy. They don’t need to produce thirty yard screamers or switch play like Xabi Alonso. They need to snuff danger out, win second balls, pick the pass that restarts the move, that’s it and yet it’s everything.

Take Ayyoub Bouaddi at Lille. This is a kid who’s already operating in the danger zones you want a six to control. His positioning in zone 14, the central area in front of the box, is mature beyond his years. He’s receiving under pressure, turning quickly, keeping it simple. He’s not Fabinho, but some of the mechanics are there. He’s proactive, strong on the ball, and intelligent in terms of reading play. As can be seen in this defensive actions plot from a recent game, the boxes he is operating in have a high % of actions, 9%, 9% 4%, 4% 11%, to prevent attacks reaching the defensive line.

What impressed me wasn’t just his positioning or his tackles, it was his spatial awareness. He operates in that danger zone with composure, and when he wins it, there’s no drama, he just gets it to the right player. That’s a sign of someone who gets what the role is about.

Reading Metrics With Context, Not Absolutes

It’s easy to get lost in numbers. Percentiles, progressive passes, aerials won. But context is everything. Bouaddi, for instance, doesn’t top the charts in passing volume, but that’s not always on him. He’s playing for Lille, a team that doesn’t dominate possession the way Liverpool would. So of course, he’s not going to have the same touches or passing stats as someone playing for Liverpool, City or Bayern. In the Pass network below from a recent game, wearing number 32, you can see he is a the heart of the passing network, with strong lines from the CBs to the front players, but without creating threat as indicated but the light colour of his circle.

What you look for is trajectory. Bouaddi’s numbers are rising. He’s showing improvement in key areas, blocks, recoveries, and receiving under pressure. His aerial game is growing too rising from circa 50% to just below 60% this season to date. Still only 18, with a big frame and upward curve, that’s what you want from a young six.