Scott Brown might be set for a new contract at the club, but the 33-year-old definitely would need a replacement as time goes on. Since joining the club in 2007, the midfielder has upped his game every new season. Even though he would turn 34 next year, Brendan Rodgers is still keen to hold on to him. With time, the midfielder has brought a sense of calmness and discipline to his game whereas when he burst onto the scene, Brown was often rash in his challenges. Nevertheless, we feel Rodgers should have an eye on a long-term replacement for him, and we compile a list of three midfielders he can consider.
Marko Grujic
We believe the 22-year-old Liverpool man can be a dominant figure in the Scottish Premiership and Rodgers should think of this player to replace Brown. The Serbian is a proper box to box midfielder and is waiting in the wings at Liverpool.
Currently, he is on a loan spell with Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin, and even though Jurgen Klopp has decent options in the midfield region, they didn’t sell the Serbian. Last season, he played a crucial role with Cardiff City in helping them get a promotion to the English top flight. Even in the preseason with Liverpool, he looked impressive, and if the Hoops manage to land him, they can have a real long-term solution to Brown.
James Ward Prowse
The Southampton academy graduate was expected to do big things at St. Mary’s but of late, he has found it tough to get into the playing eleven at the club. Mark Hughes doesn’t seem to be a big fan of him, but we feel the midfielder is too good a player to be sitting on the bench at the moment.
However, he has time on his hand as he is just 23, but at Celtic, he can be an absolute baller. The Englishman is someone who can dictate the tempo of the game, and he would be a terrific deep-lying playmaker at Park Head. Ward Prowse is known to pick out a pass or two and he has a vicious right foot. His set-piece deliveries are always threatening, and the Englishman can be the perfect creator from midfield.
James McCarthy
The Evertonian midfielder seems to have fallen down the pecking order under Marco Silva as the Toffees have decent options in midfield in Tom Davies, Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin. He has also been suffering from injuries, but when fit, the Irishman can be a perfect man to have in midfield. The 27-year-old is strong and industrious and also can open up defences with his passes. With over 200 games of Premier League experience behind him, McCarthy can be a top replacement for the current Hoops captain.
