In a recent column with the Irish Independent, former Liverpool forward John Aldridge has urged Jurgen Klopp to sign a top-class defender like Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly during this January transfer window. In his latest column, he said,
“We have seen the impact made by Virgil van Dijk since his £75m arrival last January and I wonder whether a move for a powerhouse defender like Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly could give Klopp’s side the bit they need at the back.
“Top-quality opposition continue to get joy out of targeting Lovren, as he as a tendency to lose concentration and this is why I believe Van Dijk needs an A-list defensive partner.”
Aldridge’s comments make a lot of sense as the Reds are currently struggling to cope with injuries at the back. A defender of Koulibaly’s quality would undoubtedly be a fantastic acquisition for any club in world football. The Senegalese talent is widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Europe so the Reds would benefit from adding more quality alongside Van Dijk with a crucial few months coming up for them in their quest to put an end to their 29-year wait for a Premier League title.
The 27-year-old defensive ace has featured in 24 matches for Napoli and has two assists to his name across all competitions. He put in a match-winning display against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League earlier this season when he managed to keep the Liverpool forwards quiet to help Napoli claim a narrow 1-0 win over the Reds. So Klopp would be quite familiar with Koulibaly’s defensive talents and signing the defender this month could give the Merseyside giants an edge over Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Joe Gomez has a very promising future in English football while both Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren have been decent squad options at Anfield. However, Koulibaly would be an upgrade over any of them and could potentially form one of the best defensive partnerships in European football if he links up with Van Dijk as the heart of the Liverpool backline.
Moreover, it would be a massive statement from the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group if they can sign a top-class talent like Koulibaly in January. It’s high time that they brought some joy to the red half of Merseyside and the Senegalese international could just be the final piece in Klopp’s jigsaw at Anfield who could get them over the finishing line come May.
