Liverpool could repeat Michael Edwards transfer trick with £19m signing

It would be something of a surprise if Liverpool did not sign a centre-back this summer.

The Reds had been in the market for such a player last year, only to prioritise their midfield revamp further after the unexpected departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia. With Jarell Quansah impressing in pre-season, Jurgen Klopp was suitably content with the options he had left at his disposal.

Of course, such numbers are now depleted with Joel Matip having left the club at the end of his contract to reiterate the need for such a player.

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Club captain Virgil van Dijk will turn 33 next month, after all, and is out of contract next summer. Regardless of whether he is handed a new deal or not, sooner or later Liverpool will need to source a long-term replacement for the Dutchman.

Elsewhere, Ibrahima Konate’s injury problems remain a concern, with them opening the door to Quansah finishing the season as first-choice in the first place. The France international has also been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, though recently insisted he is happy at the club.

Meanwhile, Joe Gomez has also been linked with a move away after his most impressive season for the club. He racked up 51 appearances in all competitions as he enjoyed a much-needed injury free campaign, even if his game-time predominantly came at full-back as opposed to his preferred centre-back position.

While it would be a surprise if the Reds cashed in on either Konate or Gomez, the need for a new centre-back remains.

Last summer, a younger, left-sided option was desired and could be on the radar again. Liverpool remain long-term admirers of Chelsea’s Levi Colwill, for example, though, while he is reportedly now attracting interest from Bayern Munich, a Stamford Bridge exit is far from guaranteed. However, Goncalo Inacio of Sporting Lisbon is understood to not be high up the shortlist.

But given Quansah’s emergence, should a different profile instead be preferred? It would perhaps instead be shrewd for the Reds to target a more experienced option as back-up, a la the signing of a 30-year-old Ragnar Klavan from FC Augsburg for £4.2m in July 2016.

The Estonian is one of only five players aged 30 or over to have joined Liverpool during Klopp’s nine years in charge. Overseeing 36 senior signings, Wataru Endo, Alex Manninger, Adrian, and Andy Lonergan complete the quintet: AKA a £4.2m reserve centre-back, a left-field last-minute solution at number six after missing out on first-choice targets, and three back-up goalkeepers - two of which never kicked a ball competitively for the club.

Van Dijk, Xherdan Shaqiri, Thiago Alcantara, and Arthur Melo are the only other signings over the age of 25 when signed by the Reds, and even then three of them were 26 with the Spaniard the odd one out at 29. Admittedly he is a rare exception to Liverpool’s transfer policy as they snapped up a world class player for an initial £20m.

But, as Endo and Klavan also prove, they are willing to break their traditional policy when required. But perhaps, when seeking a replacement for Matip, the time again now calls for it.

According to Bild’s Stuttgart reporter Felix Arnold, Liverpool have inquired about the availability of Waldemar Anton. Set to celebrate his 28th birthday next month, he succeeded Endo as the Bundesliga club’s captain last summer following the Japanese’s own move to Anfield.

Enjoying an eye-catching campaign as Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayern Munich, to qualify for the Champions League, Anton’s form earned a maiden Germany call-up back in March. Now boasting two senior caps, he has been included in their squad for this summer’s European Championships.

Although predominantly a centre-back, the 27-year-old is also capable of playing at right-back or at number six. A proven leader, such experience could prove valuable in a young Reds squad if they were to bid for the German.

While Anton signed a new contract with Stuttgart back in January, Bild reports he has a €22.5m release clause (worth roughly £19m) and is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund. But having snapped Endo for just £16.2m from the Bundesliga outfit, Liverpool bosses could be sniffing out the possibility of another transfer bargain.

Ever the opportunists in the transfer market, certainly with Michael Edwards now back involved, the Reds who do boast good relations with the German outfit courtesy of their past dealings involving both Endo and former Stuttgart loanee Nat Phillips, are no strangers to taking advantage of release clauses.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were brought in from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig last summer after their £35m and £60m releases were met. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate, Takumi Minamino, Naby Keita, and Xherdan Shaqiri were also snapped up courtesy of their own contract clauses.

Endo couldn’t say no to the offer of moving to Anfield last summer. Time will tell if his former team-mate can say the same, if anything comes from Liverpool’s reported interest.

Anton might not be a young, left-sided centre-back, but he would still be an attractive signing if the Reds instead opted to go down a different route. After all, a versatile, experienced leader not yet enjoying his peak and available for a cut-price fee would still tick boxes.

And while not a big-money signing or wonderkid in waiting, after losing Matip’s services this summer, perhaps he is instead exactly what Liverpool need - even if it means breaking away from their traditional transfer policy.