Liverpool are in dire need of a centre back, there’s no doubting that at all. The Reds started the season with three centre defenders and are now down to none. The season could hinge on whether or not the club manage to bring in reinforcements. According to the Liverpool ECHO, Liverpool could land Sven Botman due to the huge debt Lille find themselves in.
Liverpool need a centre back
The Reds sold Dejan Lovren last summer and decided against replacing him.
The thinking was that Virgil van Dijk never gets injured and if worst came to worst and were without Joe Gomez and Joel Matip at any point then Fabinho would drop in.
Those plans were ruined when, by mid-November, Virgil and JoGo were both ruled out for the season.
This week has seen Fabinho and Joel Matip also sidelined, leaving the club with no fit senior centre backs.
Liverpool interest in Sven Botman
The Sunday World this week reported that Liverpool will make a late push to sign Sven Botman.
The Reds had been linked with the Dutchman previously but James Pearce refuted the reported interest.
However, that was then and this is now. We have gone through the looking glass since Pearce said Liverpool don’t want Botman, now we very much need him.
Massive Lille debt
This weekend the Liverpool ECHO reported on the massive debt that Lille find themselves in.
The club have been one of the hardest hit by the collapse of the Mediapro TV deal.
Creditors were called in in December and the club was sold to the hedge fund Merlyn Partners.
Despite the forced sale Lille are still €125m (approximately £110m) in debt.
The ECHO believes that this financial shortfall could leave the French side forced to do a deal over Botman, a deal worth a lot less than the £35m they wanted.
What RTK has to say
Sharks gotta shark baby.
The Reds may be acting like vultures here but we aren’t making a luxury signing, we are desperate for a centre back.
We likely wouldn’t have been in this position had it not been for the financial hardships imposed by the pandemic.
Fingers crossed we get a deal over the line, be it Botman or somebody else.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
