Liverpool are struggling for results in recent weeks and have lost their top of the league status to bitter rivals Manchester United ahead of hosting them at Anfield. Injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip left them with no specialist centre-half for the majority of the season and the hue and cry for defensive reinforcements needs to be addressed before it gets too late in the title hunt. Liverpool, however, have been made aware of the availability of Real Madrid star Eder Militao, Kevin Palmer of Sunday World has reported.
The 23-year-old Brazilian was roped in from Porto for a fee in the region of €50m during the summer before last. But his minutes have been limited since moving to the Spanish capital and Los Blancos are now ready to listen to offers before the window is slammed shut. They would allow him to leave on loan for the remainder of the ongoing campaign and the Reds, therefore, must step up their interest to restore some balance in the heart of the backline.
Crisis At The Back and The Necessity Of Defensive Reinforcements
While they are still prioritizing summer deals for preferred targets, the situation might eventually force them to explore the options available in the transfer market. January is never the ideal time for long-term plans and Jurgen Klopp, although not a fan of short-fixes, must sanction the deal to take the pressure off Fabinho who has done incredibly well as a makeshift centre-back. Neither Rhys Williams nor Nat Phillips has exhibited enough composure to earn stability alongside the Selecao international and the gaffer was forced to deploy skipper Jordan Henderson in deep defence in their 1-0 defeat against Southampton.
These experiments won’t work late into the season and the persistent injury problem of Matip makes the move for Militao a no-brainer. The Reds have endured a loss in excess of £100m in revenue due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the champions, thus, have little money to spend, unlike their fellow league contenders who have continued with their spending spree.
Having said that, Liverpool must loan in Militao even though a minuscule signing fee is demanded. But they must avoid any ‘obligation to buy’ clause and Real Madrid, known for their manipulating power in the market, would only let the defender leave if their terms and conditions are met. The youngster is lauded for his ability to play it out from the back and his style of play should help him settle in Klopp’s ‘heavy metal football’ with ease.
