Liverpool's options for midfielder next season

First Choice

Steven Gerrard

How many games the club captain will manage to make away from the treatment table this coming season is up for debate, but the No.8 is still central to Dalglish's plans and when fit will be the first name on the team sheet.

Lucas Leiva

The Brazilian has managed to turn himself from a terrace boo boy into something of a cult figure in just one season. And more importantly; a reliable first-teamer. Whatever formation Dalglish goes for this season, Lucas is sure to feature in it somewhere.

Possible starters

Jordan Henderson

You surely don't spend £20m on a new toy if you're not going to play with it, which means Henderson can expect a fair crack at the whip after his move from Sunderland. He'll need to hit the ground running to keep his spot, though.

Charlie Adam

He may have been the main man at Blackpool, but he'll have to cede some of that power at Anfield. However, the Scot could well be the man to give Liverpool some attacking thrust, depending on how Dalglish chooses to use his new acquisition.

Raul Meireles

Perhaps unfair not to include the Portuguese international in the first choice category; especially after a barn-storming end to last season, and a PFA Fans' Player of the Year award after a slow start to his Anfield career. However, rumours of a move away persist, so it remains to be seen how Dalglish rates Meireles alongside his other midfield options.

Bench dwellers

Jay Spearing

The Anfield academy graduate won't be expecting to start many games this season, but proved last term he is a more than capable replacement for any of the men ahead of him when called upon.


Jonjo Shelvey

More playing time would be on the former Charlton man's wish list, but he won't be expecting to start many games, although if he slipped onto the pitch and pretended to be Meireles, no-one would probably notice. Also rumoured to be one of the players heading to Blackpool as part of the Adam deal.


Maxi Rodriguez

Aside from a fortnight where he scored seven goals in three games, the Argentine has struggled to impress for Liverpool and will probably find himself warming the bench more often than not.


Taxi please!

Alberto Aquilani

He doesn't want to be there, Liverpool don't want him, so Aquilani finds himself in some weird purgatory style situation at Anfield. Unless the club can come to an agreement with Juventus (or any other Italian team) he will likely find himself out in the cold.

Joe Cole

Remember when Joe Cole was good? These days the former England winger is having trouble finding a club, or even finding both his legs working, such is his close relationship with the physio's table.


Milan Jovanovic

The winger has been told to find a new club by Liverpool after barely featuring under Dalglish in the second half of the season. Jovanovic has found opportunities to impress hard to come by and with the arrival of Adam and the great form of Suarez, that looks unlikely to change.

Christian Poulsen

It's not unfair to call Poulsen's stint at Liverpool a massive flop; the Dane was disappointing in the opening part of the season and has hardly been seen since. Seeing him feature next season would be more surprising than Andy Carroll getting a haircut.