Although Jürgen Klopp is currently in the process of restructuring Liverpool’s midfield, one player who has occasionally played there shouldn’t be overlooked this summer.

The typical positions are accurate. The Dutchman played a completely different role than the one that Reds fans anticipated when he arrived on the team, and on several occasions during the Liverpool run-in, Cody Gakpo was playing in midfield.

Gakpo, a former left winger who was brought in as a winger, has essentially taken the place of Roberto Firmino. Naturally, whoever is chosen to replace Firmino is likely to exhibit some withdrawn behavior. Even though it mostly went unnoticed, Gakpo occasionally appeared to be playing as a number eight.

David Comerford of Liverpool . com explained it in this article from last month, describing how Gakpo retreated against Aston Villa when Jürgen Klopp introduced Diogo Jota to the action.

What on paper appeared to be a front four was actually just a midfield switch, though the Dutchman was obviously inclined to use his central position to attack.

This is a very helpful option for a team that is frequently criticized for having trouble scoring goals from midfield. Gakpo does not lack offensive instincts; prior to joining Liverpool, he scored nine goals and dished out 12 assists in 14 matches in the Eredivisie. Last season, he recorded 20 goals and 20 assists between his two clubs and across all competitions.

However, you could argue that for Klopp, that was just a band-aid. Liverpool should seriously keep Gakpo in mind as it plans its midfield reshuffling for the summer.

Darwin Nez, the potential record signing from last summer, cannot be simply written off by Liverpool. If everything goes according to plan, he will soon take over the number nine position.

But as the previous campaign came to a close, Gakpo made himself more or less impossible to drop. This front four as it appears on paper with a “secret” additional midfielder may appear more frequently as Klopp tries to accommodate an attacking lineup that also includes Nez, Jota, Mohamed Salah, and Luis Dáz.

However, it doesn’t necessarily follow that Liverpool can get by with just one more midfielder. Liverpool would likely need to increase its attack force if it did.

However, adding two more players who fit the description of offensive number eights would seem a little excessive; considering what Gakpo can already offer, it might be wiser to invest in a number six to challenge Fabinho.

Gakpo has impressed since joining from PSV in January for an initial $47 million (£37 million/€43 million). With a midfield rebuild taking shape, he could be a “secret” option that Klopp uses more frequently than most people realize.