With Southampton adamant that Virgil Van Dijk won’t be leaving the club anytime soon, Liverpool are running short of time to sign a competent defender. Judging by what we saw in their opening day fixture against Watford, one can safely bet that they’re in dire need of defensive reinforcements. Hence, it’s about time the Reds start looking elsewhere in their pursuit to strengthen their beleaguered defence.
We take a look at five players capable of yielding the desired results.
Craig Dawson
Since joining West Brom in 2010, Craig Dawson has gone on to be an ever present figure for the Baggies. With over 100 Premier League appearances, Dawson is a proven top-flight player.
The English defender will undoubtedly bring a much needed physical presence to Liverpool’s defence.
Andreas Christensen
The young defender spent last season on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach putting up impressive performances in the 31 league games he played for the German side. Andreas Christensen will be a wise long term investment for Liverpool as he is just 21.
As it stands, his future at Chelsea is in the dark, and he could yet want to make a move to prove himself elsewhere. Liverpool has already done business (well, sort of) with Chelsea this summer which saw young striker Dominic Solanke move to Anfield; they might as well try their luck again with a deal for Andreas Christensen.
Davinson Sanchez
Quick and fast with a great tackling ability, Davinson Sanchez is a top defensive prospect with top European clubs already mulling on taking him away from Ajax.
Valued at £10m the transfer market, Liverpool may not need to sweat much to land the Colombian for such a fee.
Kamil Gilk
Towering Polish defender Kamil Gilk gets little plaudits for his heroics on the pitch. A mainstay in Monaco’s brilliant run last season, Kamil Gilk will be an ideal signing for Liverpool given he boasts of the ability to thwart incoming attacks.
Ibrahim Amadou
At 24, Ibrahim Amadou has quietly established himself as one of the best defenders in the Ligue 1. Not only he is a dependable centre back, but Ibrahim Amadou can also play in a defensive midfield position.
Jurgen Klopp will love to have such versatility in his squad as he tries to patch up Liverpool’s porous defence.
It isn’t always good news to miss out on your key target, but there’s always an alternative in the transfer market unless, of course, your primary target was Messi or Ronaldo.
Ibrahim Amadou could prove to be a great alternative to Virgil Van Dijk and help shore up Liverpool’s defence.
