James Pearce has warned that Liverpool cannot afford to avoid dipping into the transfer market following news of Joel Matip’s and Fabinho’s latest injury setbacks.
The No.32, in particular, appears to be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining ankle ligament damage.
“With Fabinho also missing due to a muscle problem, the need for Liverpool to sign a centre-back before Monday’s transfer deadline is off the scale,” the journalist wrote for The Athletic. “Inaction is no longer an option, with various short-term fixes now under serious consideration.”
The message is now resoundingly clear to the club hierarchy, as Jurgen Klopp faces the second-half of the season without a single senior centre-half available.
As reassuring as Jordan Henderson’s cameo at the back was, the German cannot be reasonably expected to hold on to a top four spot, let alone mount a title defence, without some kind of defensive reinforcements being brought in.
A number of stop-gap solutions have already been suggested, with there being a range of temporary loan solutions and low-fee moves existing as potential avenues for the Reds.
At this point, we’re not looking for world-class talent, (though we certainly wouldn’t turn our noses up at it, if the opportunity arose), just a defender with enough experience to slot in and do a decent enough job at the back until our defensive injury crisis eases.
As Pearce has correctly noted, Liverpool can no longer afford to avoid bringing someone in.