The official word from Liverpool is they will not be in the market for a new centre-back in January, despite the fact first-choice pairing Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk will miss most of, if not all, the season. Maybe it's just a bargaining tactic to prevent inflated prices, but Liverpool supporters will hope it's not the case.
After watching Joel Matip succumb to injury yet again over the weekend, Jurgen Klopp's options at the back are desperately thin. Fabinho has dropped back superbly and injury to the Brazilian really would be a disaster. Liverpool's only recognised centre-backs currently available to Klopp are Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips.
The former was on loan with Kidderminister Harriers in the National League last season, while the latter spent a season in the Bundesliga's second division. While both have played well to their credit, it's less than ideal for the defending Premier League champions. Captain Jordan Henderson has even dropped in at centre-back to cover.
With the FA Cup third round to come and return of European football not far away, not to mention the defence of their Premier League title, Liverpool will surely use the January transfer window to ease their defensive crisis or risk everything they have worked so hard for at this point.
Schalke youngster Ozan Kabak has long been linked with a move to Anfield but the 20-year-old has endured something of a traumatic campaign with the Bundesliga strugglers. Kabak has been banned for spitting, picked up three bookings and one red card in eight league appearances for Schalke. Moreover, he is the lowest WhoScored rated player in the Bundesliga (5+ starts) this season (6.08).
Rather than move for Kabak now, Liverpool should perhaps look closer to home. Liverpool have enjoyed great success from raiding Southampton down the years and a return to Saint Mary's for a new defender should be considered. Jannik Vestergaard, who is currently injured, is enjoying his best form for Southampton since leaving Bundesliga side Gladbach two years ago. Van Dijk is clearly the best defender in the Premier League, if not the world, but Vestergaard has turned in performances in a similar defensive set-up to Liverpool this term the Dutchman would be proud of and is currently in the WhoScored Premier League Team of the Season.
Van Dijk has a better tackle success rate than Vestergaard in 2020 and slightly edges the Dane in terms of aerial duel success rate and long ball pass accuracy, but the margins are tight. Van Dijk has surprisingly committed more errors leading to an opposition goal in the Premier League this calendar year compared to the Saints ace, while Vestergaard outperforms Van Dijk in terms of clearances per 90. Both have scored three goals each this year.
