Liverpool supporters are likely to be buoyed by some fresh remarks regarding the club’s January transfer business, as FSG line up a move for one of Europe’s brightest defensive talents.
Liverpool's centre-back issues under the spotlight
The Reds have looked flawed this season, with record signings Florian Wirtrz and Alexander Isak still bedding in and Mohamed Salah among those out of form, and they also look light on centre-back options.
Granted, Virgil van Dijk largely looks as good as ever, barring a recent dip, but he is 34 years of age and will need replacing eventually, while Ibrahima Konate has flattered to deceive and is injury-prone.
Joe Gomez is another player who is known for his fitness woes in his career, while highly-rated new signing Giovanni Leoni will cruelly miss the rest of the season after suffering ACL damage in the EFL Cup clash with Southampton.
Not only that, but Marc Guehi is now being linked with a move to Bayern Munich, and Liverpool’s failure to sign the Crystal Palace captain on deadline day is increasingly looking like a bitter blow.
The January window will give the Reds a chance to bolster their defensive options, with Bayern Munich’s Dayo Upamecano linked with a move recently, and now another Bundesliga player has been backed to come in.
Liverpool "serious" about strengthening in January
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness, who is well connected on Merseyside and now reports for Football Insider, claims Liverpool could look to sign Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck in January, with “serious movement” expected in the market.
“He’s proven to be the best defender so far this season in the Bundesliga. He looks to be a real talent and he’s the right age at 25. Look, there is no doubt Liverpool are working overtime right now trying to fix this defence. They’ve got to push the boat out in January.
“It doesn’t look as though it’s going to be Schlotterbeck now, but he could still be one of the targets, certainly. I do expect to see some serious movement in January from Liverpool, and they’re going to be spending where they probably hadn’t planned to because there’s some some cracks appearing. They’re going to have to get that defence shored up.”
A new centre-back does feel like a pressing matter for Liverpool, given the aforementioned options there, both in terms of form and fitness.
It often feels like a matter of time before Konate misses a chunk of action, and should Van Dijk pick up an injury, it would have the potential to completely derail the Reds’ season.
Appearances
4
8
Starts
4
8
Minutes played
360
720
Clearances per game
5.5
4.9
Tackles per game
1.8
2.0
Aerial duel wins per game
1.8
2.9
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
1
Schlotterbeck stands out as an impressive option alongside Guehi, but it remains to be seen if Dortmund let him go, and the likes of Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have a big decision to make when it comes to whether to wail until the end of the season for the ideal signing or not.