Liverpool have had many defensive issues crop up this season.
The fact that they didn’t manage to sign Marc Guehi in the summer was a major blow to their Premier League title chances.
Of course, fans thought that the Reds would still be fine due to them having four senior centre-backs among their ranks.
However, now that Giovanni Leoni is ruled out for around a year due to an ACL tear, Arne Slot only has three to choose from.
One of Liverpool’s main problems this term has been the poor performances of Ibrahima Konate.
The Frenchman has been a liability for Liverpool this season, and now, talks of them signing a new centre-back in January are rife.
Ousmane Diomande could be the answer to Liverpool’s defensive problems
Although Liverpool going back in for Guehi in the January transfer window would make a lot of sense, that doesn’t feel all that likely at the moment.
The Englishman seems to be happy at Crystal Palace, with Guehi even saying that he wasn’t sad about his failed Liverpool move.
With this in mind, it isn’t a surprise to see talkSPORT linking the Reds with some new centre-back targets.
The outlet reported that there is a quartet of players who rank highly in the Reds’ data system, with Ousmane Diomande among those linked.
The Ivorian may not be a name that many fans have heard before, but the fact that Rubem Amorim dubbed him “very talented” during his time with Sporting shows how good he is.
In addition to this, Palace also made a move for the centre-back in the summer, but in the end, nothing came of it.
Why Ousmane Diomande could be the answer to Liverpool’s defensive problems
Konate’s inconsistency is becoming a real concern for Liverpool.
In fact, one of his mistakes even led to Alisson getting injured during their 1-0 loss to Galatasaray.
Diomande is still just 21 years old, and although he plays for Sporting, he’s still one of the most sought-after defenders in the world.
He was a star player in Amorim’s system during his time there, with the centre-back performing beyond his years.
At the moment, the defender has a £69million+ release clause in his contract, which is a rather extortionate fee.
However, if Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards work their magic, a fee worth around £50million could end up being enough to secure his services.
At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess what could happen, but if Konate’s form doesn’t improve soon, a new centre-back has to be a serious consideration for Slot.
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