Liverpool’s depth in defence has turned into a real concern after Virgil van Dijk picked up a long-term injury.
A tackle from Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby saw the Dutchman end up on the surgery table, needing several months to nurse his knee back to health.
Former Red, Jamie Carragher suggested the club go after prominent names in the January transfer market. After all, Liverpool are expected to retain the Premier League title this season with the quality they have added in the summer window.
“Liverpool’s next big signing next summer had to be a centre-back anyway. That has got to be brought forward to January 1, not the end of January,” said Carragher on Sky Sports.
“There is one called Upamecano, he is not the profile of van Dijk, but if that’s who they wanted, pay the extra money and bring him in.”
Upamecano has earned praises for his rapid development at RB Leipzig and was a subject of serious interest from Premier League clubs all summer. That was before the Frenchman extended his contract with Leipzig until 2025. Arsenal’s big of around £55m was rejected in 2018 with rumours surfacing that the centre-back could cost around £90m.
Leipzig currently holds the bargaining power and could demand a lofty sum like that if any club came looking around. Liverpool have shown they don’t recklessly dump cash in the transfer window and impose a more strategic plan to their investments.
Upamecano does fit the profile of players the Reds like to go after. He is young, a brilliant athlete, has a lot of value in the market and is developing rapidly.
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