Liverpool left it late in the January window but brought in two defenders on deadline day to try and fill the void at the back.
Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies have both made moves to the Premier League champions and will have to hit the ground running if they are to help the Reds retain the English crown.
Kabak earning high praise
Turkey central defender Kabak had been earning rave reviews ahead of his loan switch to Merseyside, in a move that could become permanent at the end of the season. Former Schalke boss David Wagner is believed to have pointed the Reds in the direction of the 20-year-old, who is thought to have a maturity beyond his years.
Stuttgart’s sporting director Thomas Hitzlsperger, who also worked with Kabak before his move to the Royal Blues, has said he was “amazed” at how mature the youngster was on his way to winning the German top flight’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2018-19 campaign.
Reds beat hoops to Davies
Having been linked with a move to Scottish Premiership giants Celtic, Davies decided to leave Championship side Preston North End for the champions south of the border. There was also competition from the likes of Burnley, Bournemouth and Sheffield United for Davies’ services, but the lure of a move to Anfield proved too great for the defender.
The 25-year-old was Preston’s Player of the Year for the 2018-19 season and has been catching the eye with his performances in the Championship this term. Manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted the Reds would not normally be looking down in the second tier for a player to come and feature in the first-team. However, the German tactician says he’s “excited” by the move for Davies, and feels “there’s a lot to come for him.”
Time will tell whether the gamble pays off for Liverpool, but if they have uncovered a talent capable of shining in the Premier League, it will have been a bargain deal for a centre-back at £2million.
Big shoes to fill
It is no secret the injury problems in defence Liverpool have suffered this season, and the Reds are now 9/1 with William Hill in the football betting to retain their Premier League title this season. The loss of Netherlands star Virgil van Dijk to a serious knee injury rocked the Premier League champions. Since then, Klopp has been looking to plug the gap, but others have also been forced out on the sidelines.
Joe Gomez was injured while on international duty with England in November, while Joel Matip is the latest defender to receive bad injury news. Matip suffered ankle ligament damage in the 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the end of January and has now been ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
Another shock defeat on home soil at the hands of Brighton at the start of February has once again shown the frailty the champions have at the back. While rivals Manchester City have found their form since the start of 2021, the Reds have struggled in their race for the title. Defeats to Burnley and Brighton at fortress Anfield were not expected, even with Liverpool’s injury woes in defence.
Kabak and Davies have a big void to fill in the backline for Klopp’s side, and the pressure is on, as Liverpool play catch-up in the Premier League title race.
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