Release date: Sunday, November 1, 2020 2:58 AM
Liverpool won’t have to splash a new central defender because they would “move the boat” at the club, Hartson says.
Premier League champions were affected when Virgil Van Dijk suffered a serious knee injury to Everton.
Van Dijk’s anterior cruciate ligament followed a collision with Jordan Pickford, who has since underderwent surgery and appears to be lost for the rest of the season.
Jurgen Klopp’s problems as a plant worsened when Fabinho was forced to leave due to a mid-week ham tendon injury to FC Midtjylland.
With Joel Matip also absent, that left Joe Gomez as the senior central defense option. Meanwhile, Liverpool are forced to look for Nat Phillips and Rhys Willams. The two teenagers have six major appearances with the Reds.
This has fueled discussions that Liverpool will spend a lot in January to signal a new central defence. Zaguero Ozan Kabak and Kalidou Koulibaly, valued at one million pounds, have already been linked to the club.
But Hartson told Astro Stadium that Klopp did not point to a new central defense despite his injury problems:
“When you look at Jurgen Klopp, he has two herbal [centrals] at [Rhys] Williams and [Nat] Phillips.
“So you don’t need to shake the boat too much.
“If you have two, you have [Joel] Matip and Fabinho who can play there as well as others.
“If you play Thiago, you play alongside Fabinho in defensive midfield.
“For me, you have 3 or four central defenders in a position to upgrade to Van Dijk and play with Joe Gomez.
“I don’t think Klopp will make the price more productive. I don’t know if you’ll pay 75 or 80 million pounds for one of the most productive power plants in the world. “
“It probably wouldn’t be 70 million pounds, 80 million pounds or 90 million pounds for the most productive because it will be in the players it also has.
“We saw Phillips today. He may come and be a wonderful player, so he doesn’t need to overturn the boat and he has too many options. “
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