For any football club that spends £414 million in a single transfer window, adding to a group that has recently comfortably won the Premier League, an injury to a youth player is expected to have little impact. Liverpool, on the other hand, spent heavily over the summer to improve their attacking and full-back options, leaving their defensive situation to the last minute.
What could have been an 11/10 transfer window was reduced to a nine or ten out of ten after their late pursuit of Marc Guehi ended with Crystal Palace rejecting their final overtures at the last minute. Furthermore, a spate of departures, including Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, has left Arne Slot with little defensive choices.
Giovanni Leoni, 18, looked ready for Premier League football on his debut in a 2-1 League Cup win over Southampton. However, an ACL injury has left the Reds scrambling to see if they can make it until January with only three full-time central defenders, two of whom are prone to injury.
Ibrahima Konate’s sudden absence from international duty with France may raise further concerns at Anfield. Faced with such a sudden crisis, here are four free agents who could serve as a stopgap – though the hierarchy may occasionally have to try fitting a square peg into a round hole just to get by.
Liverpool might sign four free agents to replace Leoni.
Craig Dawson
In the worst-case scenario, if Liverpool’s current alternatives – Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez – sustain another injury, they will most certainly choose Premier League experience over all else. Craig Dawson, a defensive stalwart for West Brom and the Wolves, fits the criteria perfectly.
Now 35, the 6ft 2in Englishman may not have the legs to chase down every attacker, but his presence on set-pieces and ability to read the game have never been in doubt. With 303 English top-flight appearances, he is as dependable as they come.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip, one of the ultimate cult heroes of the Jurgen Klopp era, has only recently turned 34. Many Liverpool fans have already predicted his surprise comeback, and the truth is that he knows how to play alongside all of the club’s current defenders, so the adjustment time would be brief.
Without a question, if Matip returned to Anfield, the morale boost for both squad and crowd would make any tiny amount immediately justified. In 201 appearances, he won the Premier League and Champions League on Merseyside, and he is still a popular character.
Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Takehiro Tomiyasu earned a chant during his time at a strongly fortified Arsenal, and after being scouted by AC Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion throughout the summer, it appears strange that no one has taken a chance on him yet.
Potential suitors have been put off by the Japanese international’s ongoing calf and knee problems, which are set to keep him out of contention until the end of October. He also played only six minutes in the 2024/25 season, but at this point for Liverpool, there is no return without some risk, and they have nothing to lose.
Daniel Amartey
Daniel Amartey joined Turkish Super Lig team Besiktas in July 2023, after leaving Leicester City, where he made 106 Premier League games. He appeared in 18 league games for the Turkish champions in 2023/24. He also played in seven Europa Conference League games, giving him a total of 27 appearances for the team in all competitions.
According to several sources, the sole reason he is currently a free agent is due to contract disagreements. Given that the Reds would only sign him on a temporary basis, they don’t need to linger on his previous attitude issues with the Besiktas administration.
Current Players Who Could Fill the Void
Liverpool’s hierarchy has never panicked, as far as anyone can remember. Realistically, Fenway Sports Group will not even consider the free agent market. However, if any more defensive injuries occur, supporters may be reminded of the terrible 2020/21 season.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were among those thrown into a makeshift backline as emergency acquisition Ozan Kabak proved to be one of the poorest Premier League defenders in history. Wataru Endo and Milos Kerkez have already played briefly at centre-back under Arne Slot, so they could be choices, while Andrew Robertson and Ryan Gravenberch – who, to be fair, dips that deep on occasion – could give support.
Rhys Williams is a name that has faded from memory. He is the only other natural centre-back available, but trust in him appears to have eroded to near-zero since the end of the Klopp era, with many match-goers likely hearing his name for the first time in years after reading this.
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