As they build for the future, Liverpool have been told to pursue a 17-year-old rising star whom also attracts the interest of Man City and Spurs.

Brazilian international and Liverpool midfielder Fabinho, 28, may be at the height of his abilities.

He should continue to be among the finest players in the world of football for at least a few more years.

Liverpool, meanwhile, needs to continue considering its succession strategy. They do not want to be caught off guard, and Fabinho has developed a tendency to be hurt more frequently recently. Rivals Manchester City have taken the lead, despite having Rodri, by signing Kalvin Phillips.

It’s an intriguing conundrum, but Tifo Football has offered a solution in their “Sensible Transfers” episode for Liverpool. They believe the Reds should make a move for Noah Mbamba of Club Brugge.

Mbamba, a young center-back who is only 17 years old, is a number six. Along with Lille’s Amadou Onana, who is reportedly a target for Liverpool, he is a member of the young Belgian central midfielders Jacek Kulig refers to as a “superb generation.”

At the international level, where he assumed the captain’s role for Belgium’s Under-19 team in October at the age of just 16, he is ahead of plan.

He made his Pro League debut against his former team on the final day of the 2020–21 campaign after moving to Brugge from rivals Genk in 2020.

He participated in 14 games of the competition last year, starting three of them and adding 11 cameos. He also has the second-longest runs versus City (twice) and PSG as the youngest player to appear in the Champions League group stages.

2022/23 The Belgian football season has already started, and Mbamba may now advance by becoming a starter. He was included in the starting lineup by manager Hoefkens for both Sunday’s Pro League debut against Genk and the Supercup match against Gent. He has currently logged 932 minutes and 24 games for the senior team.

What sort of number six is he, though? Mbamba exhibits good anticipation in young player footage, which allows him to make interceptions and retrieve the ball. Additionally, he has very strong and aggressive tackles, hounding opponents before recovering the ball with his long legs in the fashion of Fabinho, who was previously known as “Inspector Gadget.” Frequently, the attacker is just left lying there.

His prowess in one-on-one matches appears to have translated to the senior level, as Mbamba won 67% of all his ground duels in the previous campaign. Although there are several cautions regarding the sample size, he was ranked second among all midfielders in the league, so there is still cause for excitement.

What about having it? When he gets the ball, he is fiercely competitive and tenacious, but he is remarkably calm, whether picking a pass, outpacing his opponent, or—most significantly—jinking away from challenges. He possesses a very assured dribbling style and can maneuver his way out of confined situations in a manner similar to Yves Bissouma, the recent addition to Tottenham Hotspur.

These qualities are priceless for constructing from the ground up, and Brugge’s youth did seek to Mbamba on a few times to begin their assaults. Top teams like Liverpool and Spurs are actively searching for this quality in a prospective midfield transfer target.

He has already played close to 1,000 minutes of men’s football, which is astounding but not unexpected given how plainly superior he was in the youth league.

If elite teams like Liverpool aren’t already paying attention, they undoubtedly will soon. After passing the Man City test and the Spurs comparison, Mbamba appears to be headed for a bright future.