Liverpool have been proven right about £38m summer transfer decision amid Matheus Nunes dilemma

Liverpool knew exactly what they needed at the beginning of the summer transfer window. The Reds had identified a central midfielder who offered youth, quality, a physical presence in the middle of the park and crucially, an ability to contribute on the defensive side of the game in particular.

Aurélien Tchouaméni was the player who they chased, fitting the bill perfectly based on his emergence as a promising talent at AS Monaco. He proved to be a monster when it comes to tackles and interceptions in particular, presenting his teammates with a platform to take risks in Ligue 1.

The Frenchman was perfect, but he ended up joining Real Madrid. Liverpool seem to toy with the prospect of signing an alternative for a short period, with Matheus Nunes of Sporting CP heavily linked with a switch, but Jürgen Klopp decided to stick rather than twist.

Their curious decision opened up a transfer opportunity for Wolves, who proceeded to sign Nunes for an initial £38m fee towards the end of the summer window, with the Reds since experiencing struggles in England's top-flight.

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Through their 12 matches in the Premier League so far, Liverpool rank ninth in the table. They have picked up four wins, four draws and four losses, which epitomises their inconsistency without a capable engine room.

Plenty of Klopp’s midfield options are ageing, from Jordan Henderson to James Milner to Thiago Alcântara, and the rest seem to be either too young or prone to picking up injuries with the exception of Fabinho, who has dropped his level this term.

Klopp's midfield department looks worn and it has become clearer than ever that fresh legs are needed in the centre of the field, which is why many supporters have suggested that allowing Nunes to join Wolves was a mistake.

It remains to be seen whether that is the case, but his early development at Molineux suggests otherwise. Having originally arrived as a central midfielder, Nunes is now being deployed further forward, occupying offensive areas as a number 10 for the Midlands outfit.

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Steve Davis, who has temporarily replaced Bruno Lage in the dugout after the Portuguese was sacked last month, appears reluctant to deploy Nunes in the middle of the pitch because of his defensive shortcomings, according to The Athletic.

Why Matheus Nunes ?

The tactical conundrum perhaps offers an insight into why Liverpool opted against making a move for the Brazilian-born maestro, as he's naturally more of an attack-minded contributor rather than possessing the skills to help out in a defensive sense, and Klopp already has plenty of those at Anfield.

Nunes has a different profile to Tchouaméni, with the latter having enough quality to effectively do it all but inclined to lean towards being more of a presence when his team are without possession, operating as an expert when it comes to regaining the ball.

The pair can both be labelled as potential diamonds, but they behave differently on the field. Liverpool's biggest problem is their defensive game at present, which is why Tchouaméni was targeted and — in light of recent reports — also captures why Nunes wasn't prioritised.