Liverpool were one of the most exciting sides in the recent Premier League season as they managed to finish in the fourth place in the points table, qualifying for the Champions League next season. However, they have a fragile defence that needs to be worked upon and Jurgen Klopp, the manager has been looking at some of the biggest names in this position.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk are still eluding the Anfield outfit and their failure to sign the Dutch defender yet has now given more reason for Liverpool to be linked with their age old target Simon Kjaer. The Reds have been monitoring the Danish international for three summer transfer windows now and according to reports, he could be up for sale this summer.
The report suggests that his current club Fenerbahce is ready to let him leave for just over £17m this summer. So should Liverpool finally spend on him?
At 28, the Midtjylland youth product is now the first choice centre-back for club and country. With close to 60 senior appearances for Denmark, Kjaer is one of the most experienced defenders in the game at the moment and has been in terrific form in the Turkish domestic league recently.
He made 43 appearances for Fenerbahce in all competitions picking up three goals and an assist and is a genuine upgrade on Dejan Lovren, given his concentration and strength for Liverpool. A crunching tackler who loves to dispossess opposition players before they reach his box, Kjaer sometimes makes silly fouls outside the box, but inside it, he is safe as a house.
He is dominant in the air, and in his 35 league appearances in Turkey, last season has shown that he has a decent ability with the ball at his feet. He is a great asset to have in the team but it is hard to see Klopp stick with him as the first choice next season.
As already mentioned, he is an upgrade on Lovren who has been error prone and is expected to push Ragnar Klavan further down the pecking order. But the centre-back position is the most important one for Liverpool to improve on this summer and it is debatable if they should spend on a player who has never played in England to help them win the title next season.
This is what makes Van Dijk an important target for Liverpool. Even after the whole charade, the Dutch star seems to be one of the very few players in the transfer market who can have an immediate impact on the club and improve their backline and like every other season, it is best for the Reds to not spend on the Danish star this summer.
