Liverpool are taking a step closer to signing Sergi Altimira or the next best thing. The Reds have shifted their plans.

We've written this week that Liverpool are in the market for a new midfielder and that Sergi Altimira is on their radar. Anfield Watch and he might just be who they move for in 2027.

And that would be a fine move. Altimira is a really interesting player and one who our Value Adder model suggests held the highest defensive value per 90 minutes across the top five leagues last season.

Sporting certainly believed that. They moved to sign Altimira from Real Betis in the summer, replacing the outgoing Morten Hjulumnd, who signed for Atlético Madrid.

We think they've made an upgrade there - and it's drawn the attention of Liverpool. More than that, we think they're making true preparations to sign him.

We had real questions over the interest in Altimira. He is about as ‘defensive midfielder’ as it gets - tall, large turning circle, not particularly fast, and not one other consistently burst forward.

This flies in the face of everything Liverpool have produced in midfield for two years. The Reds have basically just used attacking midfielders, defiantly sticking with their philosophy even when they can’t control a midfield and are losing game after game because of it.

Altimira’s display against RC Lens this week, for instance, was the opposite. He sat at the base of a midfield three and spent large portions of the second half between split centre-backs. It’s the Fabinho role at Liverpool - and one it appears they’d done away with.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Liverpool take giant step closer to Sergi Altimira" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Live Scores metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Soccer2026 LiveWire Editorial Desk. Readers following "Liverpool take giant step closer to Sergi Altimira" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.