da pixbet： Liverpool reportedly have three strong centre-back options to sign this summer, including Croatia's World Cup star Josko Gvardiol.
Do Liverpool need another centre-back?
da realsbet： The Reds have had a difficult season, with a combination of injuries and both mental and physical fatigue affecting them badly from August onwards. They have struggled all over the pitch, and while midfield has arguably stood out as the biggest area of concern, they have also been poor defensively too often.
Individual errors and a lack of intensity have proved problematic too often, and although Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate certainly haven't been blameless, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez have been particularly poor. It could be that Jurgen Klopp wants to sign an upgrade on the pair this summer, with both players linked with moves away.
And it looks as though Liverpool will be in the market for a new central defender at the end of the campaign, following a fresh claim.
Could Gvardiol be the best option?
Speaking to Caught Offside, Ben Jacobs provided an update on Liverpool's search for a centre-back, with Gvardiol among the targets:
"Liverpool do want a centre-back, though. Frankfurt’s Evan Ndicka (who is available on a free with several clubs looking, including Jose Mourinho’s Roma), Napoli’s Kim Min-jae (who has a release clause active for 15 days this summer) and Josko Gvardiol have all been considered to name but three.
"With the obvious exception of Leipzig’s Gvardiol, who will command a fee of at least £80-85m, Liverpool could probably get 3-4 of the above players for the same outlay as Bellingham with all costs considered. That’s ultimately why they have decided to exit the race for the Dortmund star."
These are all strong options for Liverpool, but Gvardiol stands out at the best choice, given his vast potential and the quality he already possesses. The RB Leipzig man was magnificent for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup, starting all seven matches and enjoying an 89.9% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 5.3 clearances per game.
He has also been hailed for his "great presence" by Rio Ferdinand and was called "sensational" by the press in Qatar, and the fact that he is a left-sided centre-back would help give Liverpool's squad balance, not to mention has capabilities as a left-back, too. The 21-year-old could be viewed as Van Dijk's long-term successor at the heart of the Reds' defence, potentially standing out as one of the best defenders of his generation.