Leny Yoro transfer decision should lead Liverpool and Arne Slot to five other ideal options

Heading into this summer, with Joel Matip leaving, it was obvious that Liverpool had a glaring transfer need to address: center-back. Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez had excellent seasons and Ibrahima Konate still has a big future ahead of him, but with one eye on the future, another player to add more depth in that position is a necessity.

Liverpool, like most of Europe, likes the look of Lille wonderkid Leny Yoro. But the expectation at the moment is that he favors a move to Real Madrid and the Daily Express has reported that he is reluctant to move to the Premier League despite interest from Manchester United too.

There was interest from Liverpool in Chelsea defender Levi Colwill last summer before he signed a new contract. And while suggestions that he could be available a year on have emerged in recent days, Football.London reports that the Stamford Bridge side has no appetite to cash in on the 21-year-old and sees him as a major part of the future of the club.

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One of the biggest questions that needs answering, though, is whether Liverpool sees the priority being on the left or the right of its central defense. Colwill is left-footed but with Virgil van Dijk still under contract for at least another season, the Dutchman is unlikely to be dislodged from his berth any time soon. As a result, it might make more sense to go for a right-sided option.

Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie is left-footed and can also play at left-back while Willian Pacho at Eintracht Frankfurt falls into the same category. They would represent versatile enough options that there should be enough minutes for them across each of the two defensive positions. Long-term, they could then establish themselves as a long-term Van Dijk successor.

Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, who is expected to partner John Stones for England at the European Championship, is another option. But should he perform well in Germany, his price tag could quickly skyrocket. Sporting CP's Ousmane Diomande has been watched, as the ECHO reported in January, but links to his teammate, Goncalo Inacio, have been played down.

There are plenty of options to choose from, then. The question for Liverpool is which ones are available for a reasonable price, and which would make a transformational impact. With the transfer window having only just opened, there is plenty of time for that decision to be made — and plenty of possible twists and turns yet to come.