Alan Hutton has called to attention the form of Liverpool duo Joe Gomez and Joel Matip ahead of the return of domestic action.
The pair will likely be limited to supporting roles for the time being in light of Ibrahima Konate’s successful return from the treatment room.
“Defensively I think they need reinforcements,” the former Aston Villa man told Football Insider. “Gomez is coming into the side at the moment, Matip is coming in – and they’re just not giving Liverpool the performance levels that Jurgen Klopp wants.
However, questions must be raised as to what the future of the Reds’ backline will look like, or rather, should look like, beyond the summer window.
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In the pundit’s mind, a further fee in excess of £100m spent on Josko Gvardiol would represent an impossibility provided that we’re also looking to go big on Jude Bellingham.
It’s a reasonable assumption whilst we remain unaware as to the precise kitty our recruitment team will be granted and how affected it will be by the potential absence of Champions League football next term.
Assuming, for the sake of argument, that we’ve upwards of £200m to play with, we’d expect the club to seriously pursue an additional midfielder, maybe even two, beyond Klopp’s top target.
It has been proposed that our need for defensive reinforcements could also be catered for by the addition of versatile centre-half Evan Ndicka who will be available on a free transfer come the end of the season.
That would represent a viable route for Liverpool to pursue in light of the clear issues in the middle of the park, particularly in light of the potential exits we’ll be facing when contract expirations kick in on our end.