Liverpool have a plethora of centre-back options right now, especially after their reported Ben Davies decision. We have a look at what the Reds might do going forward.
The Athletic claims Liverpool have made a decision on centre-back Ben Davies. They see a future for him at the club – and we see that as a surprise.
Davies is yet to make his debut, after all, and seems lost in the mix at Liverpool. Still, it appears the Reds do have plans for him.
So with that in mind, how do the centre-back options look?
The stars
There’s little doubt that Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will go into next season as the starting pair – as long as they’re fit. That’s the only real question.
But if they’re both fully recovered from their injuries, they’ll regain their spots as the centre-back stars at Liverpool.
Taking a step back
Joel Matip may find he doesn’t have the same kind of role once he’s back. He’s arguably been Liverpool’s no.2 centre-back over the last few years but injuries appear to have caught up with him.
After all, he suffered quite a few this season before requiring surgery. It’s a problem that’s occurred over years now. We imagine he could find himself as fourth-choice midway through next season.
One more player taking a step back? Nat Phillips. He’s currently the best centre-back at the club but he certainly won’t hold onto that role next season. It’s difficult to know where he stands, though.
Third choice seems a bit high and if Liverpool sign someone, he could be as low as fifth. That seems harsh but after this season, maybe Phillips fancies his chances against all that competition for places.
Transfer opportunities
The Daily Mail claims Liverpool will sign Ibrahima Konate this summer and turn down the chance to make Ozan Kabak‘s move permanent.
That would be a blow for Kabak but in truth, we’re not sure we see an immediate future. He hasn’t outshone Phillips, for instance, and it’d cost £18m to have him around instead.
Konate is an interesting one, though. We imagine he’d instantly become Liverpool’s third-choice centre-back and at just 21, there’s a lot of room for growth there.
He could well be in a starring role of his own before long.
Questions
Davies apparently has a Liverpool future but we can’t tell what that means just yet. We find it hard to believe that he’ll have a first-team role next season, though.
Instead, Davies will surely go out on loan to either a lower Premier League or upper Championship team. Then Liverpool could make decisions about his value and long-term future.
It’s a similar situation with Rhys Williams. There are very few 20-year-old centre-backs cutting it in the Premier League but the youngster is doing just that. He might have a lot more potential than we thought.
Much like Davies, then, we’d like to see him get a solid loan. The right one would continue his development, which has been stellar this season. In a year’s time, it’s very possible we’re seeing how Williams fits in at Liverpool long-term.
Future
Billy Koumetio had quite a lot of hype around him at the start of the season. Liverpool needed centre-backs and the teenager looked on the brink of an opportunity.
He did make his debut in the Champions League but other than that, Koumetio hasn’t looked first-team ready. What is for sure, though, is that he faces a hell of a task to break into the Liverpool side.
There is a lot of talent at centre-back, even before potential signings. If Koumetio – or any other young centre-back – wants a chance, they’ll have to show something special with the academy.
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