Liverpool are likely to move for a new defender in the summer, according to Liverpool Echo journalist James Pearce.
The respected journalist has pointed to the ongoing injury issues of senior figures Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren as the main justifications for his reasoning, and is seemingly certain of the Reds’ intention to buy a replacement.
Speaking during a Q&A with the Echo, Pearce said: “Yes, I think a centre-back will be on Klopp’s shopping list this summer. I can’t see how he can possibly go into next season with his current personnel.
“The reality is that Lovren and Matip miss far too much football. Liverpool have played 26 league games this season and Lovren has only featured in nine of them.
“I really like the Van Dijk-Gomez combination but I do believe that if Liverpool are serious about competing on all fronts next season they need another frontline centre-back to provide more competition.”
OPINION
Pearce is surely right on this one. Recent injury issues have shown that Jurgen Klopp is desperately in need of some reinforcement in defence, and have also proven that the players he have now cannot be relied upon to provide decent cover. When all is well, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez look as if they could have the makings of a formidable centre-half partnership on their hands, but beyond that, the Reds look stretched. Even World Cup finalist Dejan Lovren appears to be a shaky and injury prone option, and that is worrying. The key to fighting a campaign on multiple fronts is often strength in depth, and compared to some of their peers in the European and domestic game, Liverpool are really lacking. You would expect that to change next season, and honestly, what sort of player wouldn’t want to get onboard with the project that Jurgen Klopp is building at Anfield?
