Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool had been provided the chance to signal a defender late within the January switch window and had mentioned it internally earlier than deciding towards a transfer.
The Italian mentioned on his Here We Go Podcast on Friday that the Reds had been given the possibility to swoop for Purple Bull Salzburg centre-back Oumar Solet, who’s been on the radar of Anfield scouts ‘for a very long time’.
The journalist outlined: “Liverpool had been by no means near finishing a signing within the January switch window as a result of they had been actually pleased with the squad they’ve.
“They had been by no means near signing Andre [Trindade] or another participant regardless of all of the rumours, however they had been provided a pleasant chance, an attention-grabbing alternative with Oumar Solet at Salzburg as new centre-back – a participant that they’ve been scouting for a very long time.
“The German director at Liverpool, [Jorg] Schmadtke, is aware of the participant so nicely in order that they had been discussing internally the chance for Solet. Then Liverpool determined to not signal any participant. He was additionally within the record at Napoli and in addition at Lens, however he ended up staying at Salzburg.”
Like Romano mentioned, it by no means appeared possible that Liverpool would make any vital signings in January, with Jurgen Klopp as a substitute comfortable to proceed with the squad already at his disposal.
Regardless of Joel Matip’s season-ending ACL injury, the emergence of Jarell Quansah has lessened the urgency round recruiting a brand new centre-back, though it’s a place which may very well be pursued in the summertime by whoever takes over as Reds supervisor.
Solet has made 14 appearances this season for Salzburg, together with three within the Champions League, however three separate accidents have restricted the 23-year-old’s availability to the Austrian kingpins (Transfermarkt).
That may very well be a possible purple flag concerning the 6 foot 4 defender, and maybe was a purpose for Liverpool chiefs declining the chance to pounce even when he was provided to them.
Though the Frenchman is perhaps a proficient participant, it appears that evidently Klopp is comfortable sufficient with the centre-backs he already has, which is comprehensible when Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Quansah, Joe Gomez and Matip (previous to his ACL harm) have all carried out commendably all through the present marketing campaign.
