The problem of finding a successor to Jol Matip at Liverpool could be resolved by Jürgen Klopp making another cheap transfer from the Bundesliga.
While Liverpool’s midfield is the focus this summer, Jürgen Klopp has another issue that needs to be resolved before the transfer window closes. The issue with defense is that.
With the addition of Ibrahima Konaté in the summer of 2021, Liverpool has essentially used the same center-backs for years. But Klopp needs to make some changes because those center-backs are becoming older and more than one of them has question marks.
Perhaps the player most vulnerable to these changes is Joël Matip. He’ll be turning 32 years old at the end of the summer and with just one year left on his contract it does feel like he will be moved on either this year or next, after many seasons of invaluable service at Anfield.
Who Liverpool bring in to replace him is going to be interesting
With the arrival of Konaté, and Joe Gomez still being available to use on the right-side of the defense, the next center-back Liverpool signs needs to be someone who is more or at least equally comfortable playing on the left. At the moment Klopp only has Virgil van Dijk capable of playing in the role to the best of his ability
Recently, 90min has linked Jonathan Tah with a move to Liverpool, and the German international may be an interesting choice.
Tall and physically powerful with plenty of speed, Tah does posses the basic requirements needed to play in Klopp’s high defensive line. While he has played predominantly as a right-sided center-back for Bayer Leverkusen this season under Xabi Alonso, over the course of his career he has played on the left side on numerous occasions and is equally comfortable in that position.
With almost 350 senior appearances under his belt at 27 years old, he’s got plenty of experience and know-how to make him an excellent addition to the defense as a back-up to Van Dijk. Comfortable on the ball too, Tah’s got the range of passing in his locker to thrive in the Liverpool system.
He’s been on the club’s radar for years, and while he has had dips in form at times over the course of his career, he has flourished under Alonso at Leverkusen this season.
