Mamadou Sangare scouting report: why Liverpool's number six search may lead to lens

When I watched Mamadou Sangare, the first thing I wrote down was not a number. It was simpler than that. He stays in the six position is disciplined in the role he performs for the team.

That might sound almost too basic, but it matters. Liverpool have spent long stretches looking like a team without that natural defensive midfield reference point, the player who sits where you expect him to sit, shields the centre backs, understands danger before it fully forms, and lets the rest of the side breathe.

Sangare does that. He is 23, a Mali international, and he has come through the Red Bull schooling before making his mark at Lens. He has played over 2,000 minutes this season, mainly in the defensive midfield role, and that is exactly the type of profile Liverpool need to be looking at. The reported price range discussed was around £35m to £40m. In the current market, for a player with his age, role and physical profile, I would do it.