Liverpool stirred the summer TTCN in the summer of 2025 with a series of blockbusters, but after a 2-4 loss to AC Milan, a clear truth: Arne Slot's team is having a huge hole in the center of the defense. And if not handled immediately, the new season can start with a defensive disaster that has been foretold.
Additional addition but missing the survival position
Nearly 300 million pounds were poured into the transfer market within a few weeks. Coach Arne Slot's team received an intensity in almost every position. They have Jeremie Frimpong for the right corridor, Milos Kerkez on the opposite side, Florian Wirtz to spike in the middle, Hugo Ekitike for attack and two new goalkeepers (Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman) to thicken the depth under the wooden frame.
Looking on paper, this is a strong, systematic transfer and future. But Liverpool fans also quickly realized a big problem: their defense center remained the same, even thinner than the previous season.
Jarell Quanusah, used to be a young talent that is expected much and is a reliable rotation plan, was sold to Leverkusen. Another option B is Joe Gomez, which has just injured Achilles. As a result, in a friendly match against Milan, Arne Slot was forced to pull Gravenberch and Tsimikas in stone … the center -back. It can be considered as the first warning to The Kop.
Not replacing Quansah is a reckless gamble
In theory, Slot still has the world's leading quality center -back duo with Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate. But the fact is that Van Dijk is 34 years old, and Konate is at the end of the contract, and is being floated by Real Madrid. In addition, the French player is not the type of immunity to injury. Gomez does not know when to return and it is difficult to put long -term trust.
Slot has mentioned the ability to arrange Gravenberch or Endo – central midfielders – playing central defenders; But obviously this is just a fire fighting solution. This is acceptable in the against weak opponents, where Liverpool completely controlled the ball. But in the peak matches, when pressing is broken, the space behind Van Dijk will become a dead point.
Liverpool may be entering their own car traces. After winning the 2019/20 season, Liverpool sold Dejan Lovren without buying a replacement. Result? When Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip were injured simultaneously, they had to “patch the defense” with all possible, from Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Rys Williams and Nat Phillips. It was a howling season that they could only squeeze into the top 4 thanks to the last round.
No one won the only pair of central defenders
There is an almost immutable principle: the championship squad is indispensable in the center of the defense. It is the place to maintain stability, the root of all tactics. Slot can rotate the midfield, swap public goods, even use many flexible diagrams. But for the center -back, the patchwork replacement is only a short -term solution, and often pays very expensive.
Liverpool is watching Marc Guhi (Crystal Palace), a name that is not flashy but experienced, the contract is only 1 year and can bring the necessary certainty. However, this deal will only succeed if Liverpool make early decisions and persuade Guehi to accept competition in the harsh environment, even sitting in many matches …
Liverpool fans have the right to expect young attacking stars like Ekitike, Wirtz. But if it was not in time to add the center -back, the new season could become a non -target race, because a strong team, nor could it go away when the spine was left empty.
