Former Schalke defender Joel Matip, who had been competing with the team for Virgil van Dijk’s partner, has suffered a serious knee injury, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament, and is confirmed to be out for a long time.
Although Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Jarell Quansah are waiting in the wings, the possibility of getting a replacement cannot be ruled out.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool have Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix as their top target, while they are also looking at Sporting defender Goncalo Inacio and Sao Paulo defender Lucas Beraldo, who have been mentioned as candidates.
The Wolfsburg center back, who has emerged as a target, has played over “100” games since joining the club from Sochaux in 2020. He has been a mainstay in the final lineup this season and has started every game except those in which he was suspended.
In addition to the 23-year-old center back, who has also represented France U-20, the left-handed center back, Portugal defender Goncalo Inacio, has been continuously linked to Liverpool since the summer market. Manchester United and other clubs are also following his progress, and he is expected to make a career of challenging for the Premier League in the near future.
Brazilian U-20 defender Lucas Beraldo, who continues to develop in Brazil and is a regular in Sao Paulo, is a left-handed center back like Inácio. They also want a new option, a player who can pass with his left foot, which is seen as a priority at this point.
However, in all cases, acquiring any of these players will have to be difficult. In the mid-season transfer market, no club wants to release its main players. Even if they do reach the negotiating table, it is likely to be a difficult process, as the transfer fee could be raised.
Will Liverpool urgently need a new center back following the departure of the former Cameroon international?