Liverpool have decided to prioritise the signing of a new centre-back in the January transfer window, according to an intriguing new update.
The Reds may be in an excellent position at the moment, sitting second in the Premier League table, but injuries are once again threatening to become a problem.
Jurgen Klopp has had to make do without the likes of Alisson, Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota in recent weeks, while Alexis Mac Allister went off injured during Wednesday’s 2-0 win away to Sheffield United.
The biggest blow of Liverpool’s season to date has been the ACL problem suffered by Joel Matip, however, with the 32-year-old expected to miss the rest of the campaign.
It may even be that the defender has played his final game for the Reds, depending on whether or not he signs a new deal at the end of the season, at which point his current contract expires.
Klopp now has to decide if he is happy with his centre-back options or if he believes a new signing is needed, and a new report from Football Insider suggests that it is the latter.
The update says that “Liverpool will prioritise a new centre-back signing” once the January window opens, with the manager “pushing” to make a key addition in that area of the pitch.
The club’s recruitment team are believed to have “made a U-turn” in their decision-making, having initially thought against delving into the market.
Our thoughts on Liverpool wanting to sign a central defender…
Liverpool still have strong options at centre-back, with Virgil van Dijk arguably playing as well as ever, and Ibrahima Konate also an excellent player in his own right. Meanwhile, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah are capable of doing a good job, too.
That being said, Konate is an injury-prone player and Quansah remains hugely inexperienced, so not signing a centre-back would be a sizeable risk by Klopp.
For that reason, Liverpool should look to bring one in in January, ensuring that their Premier League title push isn’t halted by a lack of genuine depth at the back.
Someone in the mould of Goncalo Inacio would be ideal, with the Portugal and Sporting CP ace linked with a move to Anfield various times in the recent past, being capable of playing at centre-back and left-back.
Given Klopp’s nature, it is very easy to imagine him being content with his choices and getting by without Matip, but it would leave the Reds even more dependent on Van Dijk staying fit than ever.
