It is fair to say that the major priority for Liverpool this summer will be to bolster the midfield ranks, with some reports suggesting that the Merseysiders could make as many as three signings in that department ahead of next season.
Aside from the centre of the park, however, the Reds may also be in need of a long-term solution at centre-back, with Joel Matip having been linked with a departure of late, while Ibrahima Konate has been dogged by injury during his time in England.
The other senior option at the heart of the backline – aside from towering Dutchman, Virgil van Dijk – is 25-year-old, Joe Gomez, albeit with the Englishman also proving rather unreliable in recent times.
As BBC pundit Alan Shearer noted following the car crash 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid back in February, the former Charlton Athletic man simply "makes too many mistakes", having proven something of a liability for Jurgen Klopp's men.
The 11-cap brute was also said to be enduring a footballing "nightmare" amid that grim loss to Los Blancos, according to journalist Uri Levy, with it perhaps time that the Anfield outfit look elsewhere to find a more suitable answer to that defensive problem.
As such, Klopp could well help to ditch the £85k-per-week man by looking to the academy ranks for a potential star of the future, with 18-year-old, Terence Miles seemingly one such exciting gem.
Who is Terence Miles?
While the youngster has yet to make his mark at first-team level, he is clearly already attracting attention due to his displays in the youth set-up, having been branded "outstanding" by club legend Jamie Carragher during the win over rivals Manchester United for the U18's back in August.
The teenager's header in that 4-2 victory over the Red Devils was one of three goals that he has scored in just 11 Premier League games at U18 level this term, having also laid on one assist in that time.
The promising, £680-per-week talent – who can also operate in a right-back berth if required – has also been rewarded for his fine form at that age group with a chance to impress at Premier League 2 level, making eight appearances in that competition this season.
Unlike Gomez – who ranks in just the bottom 46% for pass completion among his European peers – Miles appears to be far more adept in possession, having been described by the club's official website as:
'A good reader of the game, he steps out confidently with the ball from the back and distributes well.'
Also hailed as a 'strong centre-back' by the same source, young Miles appears to have the traits required to be a dominant, yet ball-playing presence at the heart of Klopp's backline, ensuring that he could prove a dream successor or replacement to the struggling Gomez in the years to come.