Liverpool have yet to learn their lesson after falling asleep in the summer transfer window, which could make the Reds the perfect centre-back this month.
At the start of December, Liverpool were sitting very comfortably in mid-table. Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez bounced back after not being better in the Reds’ disastrous 2022/2023 season, Ibrahima Konate was in fine form again and young prospect Jarrell quansah was hailed as an unexpected but valuable signing. . . option.
However, Matip suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the 4-3 win over Fulham and Kostas Tsimikas broke his spine in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, forcing Gomes to replace him Andy Robertson at left back.
Liverpool are suddenly feeling tight in the center of defense and could regret not bringing in reinforcements this summer. Another injury can cause serious problems.
One of the players Liverpool considered was then Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van der Ven. According to TEAMtalk, Van der Ven was one of the club’s main targets and as part of an attractive attack, captain and compatriot Van Dijk held talks to convince him to move to Anfield.
In the end, the Spurs simply “moved faster” and were able to pull off a deal worth $55 million (€50 million).
Van der Ven had been in fine form for Spurs before suffering an injury at the start of November, with the Dutch senior being linked with a summer move for the first time.
However, Ange Postecoglou felt he was still not good enough and moving for Genoa’s Radu Dragušin, who is valued at around $33 million, who is also Liverpool Target
According to The Athletic, Spurs are in talks with the Serie A outfit over a deal for the 21-year-old in the hope of a swift fee agreement. It’s looking like he could be the first major big-six addition of the January transfer window.
The more you read about Drăgușin, the more you think that, like Van de Ven, he ticks all the boxes for Liverpool. He’s young, durable (an ever-present in Serie A this season) and quickly looking like one of the best-emerging center-backs on the continent — a ‘revelation’ in the words of European soccer journalist Zach Lowy.
