Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk are both 32 years old. Both players are nearing the end of their careers, and in particular, securing a replacement for the former Schalke defender, who is likely to leave the club on a free transfer next summer, is a top priority.
Liverpool made a move for a left-handed center back in this summer’s transfer window, but in the end were unable to bring anyone into the team; 26-year-old defender Joe Gomez is putting in impressive performances, which is a welcome development, but with Jarell Quansah still an unknown quantity.
According to The Sun, Liverpool are eyeing Bayer Leverkusen’s Ivory Coast defender Odilon Kossounou and are considering a move when the transfer window re-opens next January.
The African center back, who can cover a wide range of areas with his strong physicality and athleticism, has been a regular in every game since the start of the season. He has played more than “50” games in the Bundesliga and more than 10 in the Champions League.
Although he is only 22 years old, he has also played 17 games for the Ivory Coast national team and has more experience than his age. He is tall and has had a perfect career, but I am not sure if he can play in the Premier League.
However, the stance remains that Liverpool should target left-handed center backs. There are some passes that cannot be made by a right-handed player, and we would like to keep one in the final line.
However, Liverpool missed out on their main target, Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, and no clear target has been reported at this point.
Will Liverpool stop seeking left-handed defenders and jump on a promising right-handed center back?