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At present, Liverpool's midfield is likely their deepest position; Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson look set to reprise their roles on a consistent basis, and Lucas, Joe Allen, and Emre Can will fill in a third midfield role depending on formation and fitness, with Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho floating in and out as needed. That makes time limited for those on the fringes, which means that, especially for the younger players in the squad, minutes need to be found elsewhere. Luis Alberto's already made his move back to Spain to join Malaga, and today we learn that Joao Carlos Teixeira will be linking up with Sami Hyypia's Brighton & Hove Albion squad.
Teixeira nudged past Alberto in the pecking order during the spring, with Brendan Rodgers alluding to work on the training ground as well as tempo going forward as a deciding factor in the Portuguese's ascendancy. His only Premier League appearance came against Fulham in the 3-2 win; he did well on the night, showing plenty of composure and playing in Daniel Sturridge to lead to the decisive penalty. Outside of that, though, he didn't get any further minutes, and heading into this season he looked set for more of the same.
A loan to the Championship makes sense, then, as it will likely afford more regular opportunities in a side that should be competitive yet again. Their season started in earnest with a 2-0 win over Cheltenham in the second round of the League Cup, giving Hyypia his first official win as new manager. His time at Bayer Leverkusen ended relatively poorly, but the Finn has shown he's more than capable of leading a team that plays progressive, effective football, and the squad he has at Brighton should allow for more of the same.
At 21 years old Teixeira's getting close to make-or-break-territory, especially with the crowding in Liverpool's midfield, so this seems like a perfect fit. His last loan--a short spell at Brentford in the fall of 2013--didn't turn out as planned, but this could be one that finally sees him blossom.
