Liverpool are strained and hurt after failing to sign a new centre-back in the summer of 2020.
Fortunately, the emergence of Jarell Kwansa has ensured that history does not repeat itself this season, with academy graduates Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahim Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez providing them with senior places as back-up.
All five players are currently available, a move Liverpool failed to make up for Dejan Lovren’s £12million move to Zenit three years ago. Instead, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson were asked to follow Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip, who had been injured all season, while Ozan Kabak and Ben Davis came out on loan and Jurgen Klopp finally put together an unusual combination .
Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams. With the arrival of the last two players, it has become clear that this will not be a long-term option at Anfield. He has impressed for the senior team in his first eight games for the club, but for Kwansa it is a different story.
Jurgen Klopp has finally made a change to Liverpool’s midfield as a long-term solution.
With Van Dijk and Matip on the wrong side of the number 30 and the other out of contract next summer, there’s no reason to believe the England Under-21 international can’t fill Red’s centre-back spot.
The near future.However, the advent of Quansah doesn’t mean Liverpool haven’t suffered from a lack of reinforcements in recent seasons. “Now we are looking at all departments except the goalkeeper,” Klopp told reporters in May. “Yes, I wouldn’t rule it out if there was a good centre-back.
We’re definitely looking at every part of the field.”The Reds have been linked with moves for the likes of Levi Colville and Micky van de Ven, with the young left-back a target of their interest.
He appears to play the rook, but the right-footed quansa does not.In the long term, there will be a need for such a player as Van Dijk’s long-term successor. In the medium term he will replace Matip.
However, in the short term, with Liverpool continuing to use Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, the hybrid could also be an option at left-back. When Manchester United first changed their system in April, Andy Robertson was uncomfortable with the situation.
He only found his feet after adapting to throwing Alexander-Arnold off the pitch or at centre-back instead of moving into midfield. This still allowed him to attack instead of dropping to form a back three. But with the Scot expected to be sidelined until the new year after undergoing surgery on a dislocated shoulder during the October international break, it was easier to bemoan Liverpool’s failure to sign the defensive option on who wanted it in the summer.
In Robertson’s absence, substitute Kostas Tsimikas looked less confident. The Greek attacked more than Robertson and looked much less comfortable with the hybrid defender. The 27-year-old, who signed a new long-term deal at Anfield earlier this season, was withdrawn shortly after the end of the 2-0 win over Everton, with Blues boss Sean Dyche telling him that at least should play. Warning card.
In last weekend’s match against Luton Town, Liverpool struggled badly due to the lack of width at left-back, so Gomez was substituted at left-back in place of Tsimikas. However, when the Greeks were brought on in the 67th minute, they barely managed to provide the missing ingredients.
He returned to the starting line-up against Toulouse on the 3rd, but his mistake led to his first Ligue 1 goal. He was withdrawn at half-time, with Gomez replacing him at left-back, and it was unclear who would be withdrawn for Sunday’s game against Brentford.
Robertson’s extended absence marks the longest spell of Tsimikas’ Liverpool career, but he has so far failed to capitalize on his opportunity. If Gomez had been a natural lefty, or if Chambers had had the same influence as Quansa after leaving academia, the Greek audition would have been a failure.When Robertson returns from injury, he will return to the starting role. But when the time comes for United to reconsider their interest in the left-back, whether in January or later, Tsimikas has every reason to worry about what such a signing would mean for his career at Anfield.
