Liverpool's Midfield Search: No Chance for Matias Orozco

Liverpool’s search for midfield steel will not lead them to Colombia’s latest prodigy.

Despite being linked earlier in the window, the Reds have been handed what’s been described as a “zero per cent chance” of signing teenage deep‑lying playmaker Matias Orozco, according to Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra.

Carragher sounds the alarm

The news lands at a time when Liverpool’s midfield is already under fierce scrutiny.

Andoni Iraola’s reign began with a chaotic draw at St. James’ Park, a late point rescued against Newcastle United but with old questions resurfacing in the centre of the pitch. The defensive structure looked fragile, the balance off, and the new era already facing tactical interrogation.

Jamie Carragher did not hold back. The former Liverpool defender tore into the midfield display, highlighting Ryan Gravenberch’s positioning and insisting Dominik Szoboszlai is ill-suited to the deeper role in a double pivot.

“I think Liverpool do need someone alongside Gravenberch,” Carragher said, stressing that the answer is not simply a destroyer who only tackles and screens. For him, any midfielder at this level must still “get hold of the ball,” but crucially, he wants legs and energy in that role. His conclusion was blunt: Szoboszlai should be pushed up to the No.10 position.

On that evidence, a young, mobile defensive midfielder would seem an obvious target. Orozco, though, will not be that man.

Orozco off the table for Anfield

Orozco, an 18-year-old from Barranquilla, burst into Deportivo Cali’s first team last season and quickly drew attention. Local outlet VBar Caracol reported he was close to a move to Merseyside, fuelling talk that Liverpool might be about to pounce.

That prospect has now been dismissed. Sierra’s latest update rules out Anfield as a destination, cutting off any suggestion that the Colombian could be the answer to Iraola’s midfield conundrum.

The teenager’s rise has not gone unnoticed elsewhere. Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Everton, Aston Villa, Fulham and Manchester City have all been mentioned as admirers. Leeds United and Brentford have also been floated as possible landing spots, underlining how widely his name is circulating across the Premier League landscape.

City, for their part, have already dipped back into the South American market, sealing a deal for Palmeiras winger Allen, as reported by the BBC. Orozco could be next in the conveyor belt of exports heading to England, just not to the red half of it.

Wingers in, holding midfielder still missing

While the Orozco trail goes cold, Liverpool’s recruitment appears fixed on the flanks. A deal for Yankuba Minteh is edging closer, and Bradley Barcola has been linked throughout the window as the club look to refresh their wide options.

That leaves a glaring question. With Carragher calling for a runner alongside Gravenberch and Szoboszlai earmarked higher up, who will actually anchor Iraola’s midfield?

Liverpool, for now, are looking everywhere but Colombia for the answer.