Liverpool line up January move for Van Dijk REPLACEMENT

Arne Slot has done a fantastic job as Liverpool’s head coach since his arrival in the summer, but his time as boss hasn’t come without criticism.

On the pitch the Reds have enjoyed an almost perfect start to the campaign, winning 15 of their opening 17 matches and sitting top of both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

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Off the pitch however, Liverpool’s new regime has received much criticism, mostly surrounding transfers and the ongoing contract situation of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

In his capacity as head coach, Slot isn’t actually directly responsible for the off-pitch matters at the club and it is Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards that are actually responsible.

Liverpool only actually added one player, Federico Chiesa, to the squad in Slot’s first transfer window – although a deal was also agreed for the transfer of Giorgi Mamardashvili in 2025.

Chiesa has struggled since arriving in Merseyside, but it now looks as though Slot may have another addition to his squad as early as January 1.

Liverpool’s Bade deal almost complete

According to a report from Todo Fichajes, Sevilla have ‘practically closed the sale’ of Loic Bade to Liverpool, ‘if nothing goes wrong’.

The report claims that a fee of €25 million has been agreed for the 24-year-old defender, with Sevilla6

needing to sell due to financial trouble at the club.

It is also reported that several Premier League teams, including Aston Villa, were interested in Bade but that ultimately Liverpool came out on top in negotiations.

Central defence was reportedly an area that Liverpool had identified as a potential weak spot last summer, however a new centre half was never bought in.

Bade was one of the names linked with an Anfield switch last summer and now it looks like Liverpool have acted on their interest and the Frenchman could be getting his Merseyside move six months later.

Do Liverpool need another central defender?

The Reds’ defence has looked great this season, and central defenders Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been a huge part of that.

Both are performing on a world-class level but there is significant drop off in quality when looking beyond the pair in Liverpool’s squad.

Jarell Quansah looked imperious at times last season but has struggled so far under Slot and looks a long way off the level of his peers this campaign.

Joe Gomez has stepped up admirably this season when he’s been called upon, but the 27-year-old has played less than 300 minutes and his future at the club is uncertain.

On top of the squad depth situation, there is also the very real possibility that Van Dijk leaves on a free transfer when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Replacing the skipper before he goes would allow Bade some time to settle in before he’s required to step up but could also save the Reds some cash.

There is definitely room for another central defender at Liverpool, and the addition of Bade could provide the added squad depth needed for the Reds to navigate a congested end to the season and continue to compete on all fronts.

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