Who will line-up in Liverpool’s defence next season?
With rumours swirling that Liverpool are pursuing Virgil van Dijk as their number one centre-back target this summer, competition to line-up alongside the possible marquee signing will be fierce.
Liverpool’s centre-halves didn’t cover themselves in glory last season as the Reds shipped 42 goals, the highest number in the top four.
But as Jurgen Klopp prepares to bolster his defence, we take a look at who is vying for a place come day one of the Premier League.
Joel Matip
The Cameroonian was brought to Anfield on a free transfer from Schalke and quickly established himself in the starting line-up.
But the elegant 25-year-old’s season was blighted by injuries, causing him to miss matches at crucial times of the season.
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His absence – from the start of December to end of January – proved costly as Liverpool’s form tailed off alarmingly as they were dumped out of both domestic cups and fell off the Premier League pace.
When fit, Matip’s defensive abilities speak for themselves. But Klopp may want to avoid gambling on a player who picks up consistent injuries.
Dejan Lovren
A dreadful first campaign at Anfield by the Croat was followed up by a promising second as he established himself in the first team.
But the former Southampton man took a real step back in 2016/17 with an erratic season, culminating in a plethora of errors.
Lovren had previously formed a solid partnership with Mamadou Sakho in 2016 but never looked comfortable alongside Ragnar Klavan when Matip faced a spell on the sidelines.
On his day, Lovren has proved to be a colossal defender, having produced some fine displays early in the season.
But the defender has been too error-prone and that could see him playing second fiddle.
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Ragner Klavan
The 31-year-old Estonian was snapped up by Klopp for little over £4 million as a backup choice for Matip and Lovren.
When given his chance to shine after spells on the sideline from both Matip and Lovren, Klaven struggled to make a real impact.
The former Augsburg centre half endured an inconsistent run of form between December and January, resulting in bit part appearances towards the end of the season.
The Estonian showed glimpses of promise in his maiden season in English football but will have to do much more to shove his way into Klopp’s back-four plans.
