Liverpool find IDEAL solution to replace TWO first team stars

Many thought that Arne Slot’s arrival at Liverpool would start a period of rebuilding at the club, but it looks like the Dutchman already has the Reds ready to compete.

Over a quarter of the way through the Premier League season, Liverpool currently sit top of the table, two points clear of Manchester City and seven points ahead of Arsenal.

The Reds are also unbeaten in Europe and only seem to have improved since the arrival of their new head coach.

Although Slot has brought some immediate success to Anfield, and his side are looking very good, there may still be a rebuild on the horizon.

One player who could be a huge part of that rebuild made his Anfield audition when Liverpool took on Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, and he excelled, his side's loss notwithstanding.

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Hincapie passes Anfield audition

Despite his side suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat, long-time Liverpool target Piero Hincapie was the standout performer for Xabi Alonso’s side.

The 22-year-old is capable of playing both as a centre-half and a left-back and played on the left-hand side of a back three at Anfield on Tuesday.

Although the result suggests that Leverkusen did not defend well, Hincapie’s performance was admirable, and the Ecuadorian played a big part in keeping the game goalless for so long.

For the majority of the match he was battling Mohamed Salah, which is never an easy task, and he managed to limit the Egyptian’s impact on the game.

There was little Hincapie could do to stop Salah’s two excellent crosses that led to his pair of assists, but for the most part, the defender impressed.

Liverpool’s need for Hincapie

As mentioned above Hincapie is capable of playing in both the middle and on the left of the defence.

This versatility is a bonus for any club, but Liverpool could be looking to strengthen both positions in the summer, making Hincapie an ideal target.

Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas have been battling for Liverpool’s starting left-back spot this season, and whilst both are decent options this is probably the position that the Reds are currently weakest in.

Club captain Virgil van Dijk is also out of contract in the summer and, as things stand, will be leaving on a free transfer.

If Van Dijk were to leave, there would almost certainly need to be a new central defender bought in to bolster the Reds’ defence.

This means that there will be a place for Hincapie in Slot’s squad, regardless of how Van Dijk’s contract situation unfolds, and following his successful audition on Tuesday a move to Merseyside could well materialise.

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