Although the gap left by Sadio Mane in his temporary departure to the African Cup of nations would be the biggest concern for Liverpool to fill this January, one other department the Reds have often seen struggling in the first half of the season has been at the back.
Joel Matip has been the only sign of positivity for Jurgen Klopp among his four at the back. Dejan Lovren has been pretty erratic and Klavan doesn’t seem to have got into the flow of English football yet, which is the only explanation to his irregular team appearances. In such a time of crisis, an option like Neven Subotic would be nothing short of a jackpot for Liverpool.
Managers bringing in their old favourites has been the new trend this January as we have seen with the likes of Antonio Conte wanting Fernando Llorente and Jose Mourinho pursuing Patrice Evra. And Klopp gets an upper hand here, as his one-time defensive general, Subotic, is only 28-year-old. His prime years are still running and he could be a massive signing for the Reds if he can recapture his old form that made him a household name in world football.
And guess what, the player is fancying a move to the Anfield too. His agent, Freider Gamm, hasn’t ruled out any move to Merseyside this month, according to the Daily Star.
The 28-year-old told the Daily Star, “Klopp has been my mentor for nine years, he supported me, encouraged me, had trust in me. With him and Dortmund I had the most amazing time. For that, I am forever thankful. He was and is an important person in my life and I owe him a lot.”
The Serbian’s run at Borussia Dortmund was interrupted by a rib injury that needed surgery and his long absence of 123 days pushed him down the pecking order in the team. His attempted move to Middlesbrough last summer couldn’t happen as he failed the medical. Injuries have always been a big concern for him throughout his career. Another such career threatening injury was in 2013-14 when he missed more than one and half years with a cruciate ligament injury. He is currently out with a knee injury.
Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that he had the best time of his career under Klopp at the Westfalenstadion. And, having an option like him in the team would be a huge boost for Liverpool at the back. Although Mamadou Sakho hasn’t featured under Klopp after his rift with him, Liverpool could surely reuse the cash they get from his sale in Subotic.
