According to a recent report by the Daily Star, English giants Liverpool are said to be vying against Premier League rivals Manchester City over the summer purchase of Sevilla’s Brazilian centre-half Diego Carlos. The report suggests that Liverpool are extremely keen on adding the defender’s name to their squad ahead of next season, but that Manchester City are prepared to offer him a much more lucrative contract upon signing for them instead. The pair of them are claimed to be locked in a battle for his signature this summer.
Although the fact that Liverpool are interested in Sevilla’s Diego Carlos has now been established, the competition they face from the Etihad Stadium could prove to be too much for the Reds to overcome. Klopp’s men are said to be after a new centre-half acquisition after the departure of Dejan Lovren to the Russian top-flight was confirmed earlier in the week. Whether Carlos is being targeted as competition for Joe Gomez alongside Virgil Van Dijk remains to be seen, but if his performances for Sevilla are anything to go by, then there’s no question that the Brazilian is an assured starter at Anfield.
What Is Liverpool’s Current Defensive Situation?
After the recent departure of Croatian veteran Dejan Lovren, Klopp’s squad has been left with just three centre-half options for the gaffer to choose from. Virgil Van Dijk has been a sensation at the back for the last couple of seasons, which obviously means that his place in the side is as secure as they come.
The real question that is facing the manager at this time is whether or not Joe Gomez can be trusted on a regular basis. The youngster, for all the good performances that he has put in, does tend to have the odd off-game, and an occurrence like that at this level tends to have dire consequences.
Joel Matip is the other central defender that Klopp currently has at his disposal. Not only is the Cameroonian international tall and dominant in the air, but he also tends to maintain a cool head when dealing with one-on-one situations. The issue with the 28-year-old, though, is his injury-prone nature. Having started the campaign as first-choice alongside Van Dijk, the former Schalke man was forced to spend a massive chunk of the time on the sidelines this season.
What Makes Diego Carlos A Good Option For Liverpool?
The Brazilian has been a regular member of the Sevilla first-team since joining from Nantes in the summer of 2019. Despite this being just his first year in La Liga, it’s safe to say that his performance levels have been right up there with the best defenders in Europe. Not only does the 27-year-old possess sharp positioning and tackling skills, but he also tends to be an excellent header of the ball at either end of the pitch. Having just played through his first season in Spain, the former Porto man featured in a whopping 35 league games for the La Liga outfit.
Liverpool Are Interested In Sevilla’s Diego Carlos: Why Klopp Must Beat City To His Services:
Battling Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side for any signing is a challenge, and considering that it’s an exciting central defender like Carlos, Klopp’s job of securing his signature is not going to be a facile one by any stretch of the imagination. With that said though, as good as the Reds were all through the campaign, the need to find a regular partner for Van Dijk still exists. Matip and Gomez just haven’t filled the boots satisfactorily enough during each other’s absences, which makes the acquisition of a talented defender like Carlos a necessity for Liverpool before next season kicks off.
