Liverpool manager Arne Slot was adamant that he had no “concerns” over Liverpool’s striking lack of defensive options heading into the upcoming season, although he did hint at a new addition in that area of the pitch.
The Premier League champions have taken a front-foot approach to the summer transfer window, with spending stretching to the dizzying heights of around £270 million ($362.8 million) following the arrival of Hugo Ekitiké. There is still the very real prospect of Alexander Isak bounding through the swinging Anfield door to bolster a squad which has already had Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez added.
However, Liverpool’s defence of their top-flight title may actually require some defenders. For all the millions splurged this summer, a new centre back has not arrived through the door.
This dearth of defensive options was exposed during Liverpool’s 4–2 friendly defeat to AC Milan on Saturday. Slot was forced to start defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch alongside Virgil van Dijk while Ibrahima Konaté was brought on in the second half.
Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Slot was unimpressed with the misgivings about his defensive depth. “I don’t think we have a concern at centre back,” the Dutch coach sniffed. “Ryan showed he can play that position—he did it well, although we favour him as a No. 6. Wataru Endo can play there [centre back].”
Behind the clear first-choice pairing of Van Dijk and Konaté, the options begin to dwindle. Joe Gomez was unavailable for Saturday’s friendly after suffering a minor Achilles injury. Liverpool don’t expect the versatile Englishman to be sidelined for long, but this is just the latest example of Gomez’s struggles to stay fit. 24-year-old Rhys Williams, who spent last season getting relegated from the Football League on loan at Morecambe, is the only other centre back in the squad following Jarell Quansah’s sale to Bayer Leverkusen.
Slot did drop a hint about some future business: “So we have enough options but it is true that Jarell Quansah left and we haven’t replaced him yet.”
There has been speculation that Crystal Palace vice-captain Marc Guéhi could be a high-profile replacement for Quansah, easing his way into the Liverpool setup with a supporting role before eventually replacing Virgil van Dijk. Yet, there is thought to be competition from Tottenham Hotspur for a player who could cost as much as £45 million ($61.8 million).
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arne Slot Hits Back at Liverpool ‘Concerns’, Hints at Next Transfer.