Liverpool’s inspiring run in the UEFA Champions League has been spearheaded by their £75m January investment in former Southampton defender, Virgil Van Dijk. A plethora of questions over Jurgen Klopp’s defensive structure has been answered by the Dutchman as evident from the 5-1 aggregate win over Manchester City in the Quarter Finals of the European competition.
And now it looks like the Reds will continue on that path of restrengthening their side in anticipation of a better 2018/19 season. The progress they have made under the German manager has been significant and they can take it a step further by bolstering the squad further in next transfer window.
Sevilla’s Clement Lenglet is being targeted by the Anfield side along with La Liga giants, Barcelona. The 22-year-old is expected to cost any of the interested parties £39m or more, depending on the number of elite sides fighting for his signature.
For now, the Frenchman is being considered by Klopp as a long-term centre-back partner to van Dijk. Dejan Lovren has struggled to meet the standards of a title-challenging squad and is only a backup option to Joel Matip. Ever since the latter got sidelined with injury, Lovren has taken up the defensive responsibilities on a regular basis.
Liverpool also have Ragnar Klavan who was brought in by the Reds ahead of the 2016/17 season. The 32-year-old is a rotational option but cannot be relied on for key fixtures against top teams.
Lenglet is a France youth international and has been capped 41 times, 10 of those for the U21 team. He only signed with the White and Reds from Ligue 1 outfit, Nancy for €5m last summer. Seeming the investment has paid off for Sevilla who is benefiting from the Frenchman’s 48 appearances and 4 goals in his debut season.
Lenglet has solidified the backline with his impressive game reading abilities and has lead the team of a Copa Del Rey finals and a Quarter Final finish in the UEFA Champions League. The 22-year-old’s talents were widely admired across both legs of the Champions League Round of 16 tie against Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho’s style of play heavily relies on aerial dominance with balls launched from the wide areas towards the lone striker. And even with the physically dominant Romelu Lukaku fighting for every possession, Lenglet came out on top majority of times and helped his side to a 2-1 aggregate win.
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Liverpool need a winger and a goalkeeper but they should not shy away from spending heavy on a centre-back either. They can easily clear a path for the Frenchman by trimming the fat a little bit.
