Liverpool have yet to hit the transfer market this summer, but the debate surrounding their defence has heated up after a rival club signed a much-admired centre-back.
The scars from the Reds’ centre-back crisis have long been fresh in the minds of supporters. ~ too A variety of options.
This summer, Liverpool said goodbye to veteran Joel Matip, leaving Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Jarel Kouansah and Joe Gomez as regulars.
One could argue that with Gomez playing full-back, Arne Slot is left with just three specialists.
But beyond the quartet, there is also the returning Sepp van den Berg, whose future is seriously uncertain as transfer interest grows, and the transfer market could prove tempting for him.
Knowing that the season hinges on the centre-back position, Slots faces a difficult task, as does the club’s transfer executive.
Established youth
Much of the talk of the town has focused on 18-year-old Leny Yoro recently, whose transfer and wage demands have seen the likes of Liverpool and PSG snap him up. and Real Madrid are against any deal.
As expected, United were willing to pay a whopping £52 million for the player, whose wages are said to start at £113,000 a week.
The financial burden of a player who has made 60 appearances for a senior club by the age of 18 is too much for Liverpool to handle, as they have a rising star they have never paid for before.
Of course, we are talking about Quansa.
A new, shiny transfer might bring excitement, but the Reds have a talented 21-year-old in their squad for the Euros, with England including him in their provisional squad, and Newcastle including him as part of a deal that saw Anthony Gordon sent the other way.
He may be less experienced than Yoro, but his aerial duels success rate in 2023/24 was 67.2% compared to the Frenchman’s 63.8%, while the Liverpool player was also tackled more often by dribblers (70%) than by the dribbler (54.8%).
The Reds’ No.78’s achievements at the top level of English football last season were nothing short of impressive, so why would a club pay so much for a player who wasn’t necessarily ranked higher than Quansa?
There is no need to question their talent at all. It would be a gamble to pay £50 million for a signing who has already shown promise.
Time may prove Liverpool wrong and Yoro was worth the initial investment, but Quansa is confident Slot’s style will play to his strengths.
“I think a lot of my strengths could come out in a system he likes,” he said.
“Of course, I like playing with the ball too. So I think there are a lot of things that the coach likes that I like. But there’s still a lot to improve on.”
He is not the only young centre-back under the new manager’s radar, but he is the only one Liverpool have tagged as ‘You Shall Not Buy’. The same cannot be said of Sepp van den Berg.
‘One Way’
Van den Berg has been a standout performer in the early stages of pre-season and has impressed with his fitness following an outstanding season on loan from Mainz.
The 22-year-old has previously expressed his desire to move, with Liverpool slapping a £20m price tag on him – the figure interested clubs are willing to negotiate for.
He looks set to get his chance in the upcoming summer friendlies, but the likes of PSV, Mainz, Wolfsburg, Stuttgart and other Premier League clubs are also keen on him.
The versatile Dutchman has been out on loan for three consecutive seasons, his last appearance for the Reds coming in 2020.
With a valuation set and rumours suggesting the club are in the market for a new centre-back, there is no unanimous belief in his quality and he will be tasked with proving that belief wrong during pre-season.
While players have been sent on temporary deals in the hope of returning in a more complete package, sticking with Van den Berg as a fifth option could be considered risky.
Konate has a number of players who are at high risk of injury, with Gomez also often at risk of injury. Van Dijk is a regular but is now 33, while Quan Sa has the qualities of a young and promising player.
While one doesn’t want to expect the worst, Liverpool and Sloat will have to consider whether they are comfortable relying on van den Berg in big games like Jurgen Klopp did with Quan Sa last season.
If the answer is yes, you are persuading the club to keep him even though he cannot guarantee regular minutes. If the answer is no, the club needs to invest.
Transfer route
If van den Berg leaves, he would be expected to join Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams in the defensive mix this summer, forcing the Reds to bolster their squad.
The last two are unlikely to remain and while Liverpool are unlikely to spend a ton of money this summer, it is also not the time to neglect key positions.
What Slot demands of his central defenders is not so different from what Klopp demands. High lines are a common sight and confidence on the ball is important. His teams often try to force opponents into wide areas.
While Quansa has proven his worth, van den Berg’s recent loan spell has seen him take on more defensive duties rather than attacking further up the pitch.
It is very possible that a centre-back could join last season’s quartet, but Slot will have to consider whether more can be gained from Van den Berg or in the transfer market.
There is no shortage of talent here, with the likes of Marc Guehi, Riccardo Calafiori, Jean-Clair Todibo, Willian Pacio and Piero Incapie to name a few.
Now it’s your turn, Liverpool.
