Liverpool reportedly have a few current Premier League defenders in mind as they seek to address one problematic position in Andoni Iraola’s squad.
The Reds are currently without any of their senior centre-backs after Joe Gomez went off injured in the 4-2 win over Sunderland on Saturday, with Giovanni Leoni still recovering from his ACL injury, Jeremy Jacquet nursing a minor issue and Virgil van Dijk yet to return from his post-World Cup downtime.
We saw 18-year-old duo Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe as the centre-back partnership for much of that game, and the latter won’t be staying at Anfield this season as he doesn’t yet qualify for a UK work permit.
As a consequence of all those factors, the Liverpool hierarchy may be forced into the market for defensive reinforcements over the coming weeks.
According to TEAMtalk, the England duo of John Stones (free agent) and Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) are ‘both under serious consideration’ at Anfield, with the former ‘viewed as an especially attractive option’ after his release from Manchester City.
The 32-year-old is believed to be ‘open to discussing’ a potential move to the Reds, despite his previous connections with Everton.
Elswhere, Liverpool’s recruitment team continue to monitor two long-standing targets in Levi Colwill (Chelsea) and Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur) and would move for them if they were to become available.
However, neither of the London clubs intend to sanction any big-name exits, so a deal for either of those centre-backs is deemed unlikely.
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Of the quartet mentioned in the report, Stones would theoretically be the easiest to sign as he’s currently unattached, and his apparent openness to joining Liverpool comes as another plus point.
FSG have tended not to bring in players over the age of 30, but the ex-Man City defender’s status as a free agent and multiple Premier League winner would make him a very logical option to pursue. If LFC don’t move for him, surely somebody else will.
Konsa, Colwill and Van de Ven would all be more in line with the long-term approach generally taken by the Anfield hierarchy, although their age status (28, 23 and 25 respectively) and their importance to their current clubs would make them expensive acquisitions.
Even though the absences of Gomez and Jacquet are set to be short-term, the former’s injury history should prompt Liverpool to go all-out for one more centre-back option in the coming weeks.
It must also be remembered that Leoni will realistically take a bit of time to get back up to speed once he’s cleared to play again, and Van Dijk is now 35 and into the final year of his contract.
If FSG don’t bring in another centre-back before the transfer deadline, it’d represent gross negligence.
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