Liverpool are considering a move for Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, potentially beating Arsenal to the England international, as manager Andoni Iraola urgently seeks to resolve his defensive injury crisis.
Pre-season has exposed Liverpool's lack of depth in central defence, with an injury to Joe Gomez in a friendly against Sunderland highlighting the problem. New signing Jeremy Jacquet, who cost £55 million, has yet to feature in pre-season as he recovers from a shoulder injury, while Giovanni Leoni is still sidelined with an ACL injury.
Youth forced into action
With Virgil van Dijk given time off after the World Cup, Iraola has turned to young players, starting 18-year-old Ifeanyi Ndukwe and 22-year-old Luke Chambers in the 4-2 defeat by Leeds on Sunday. Mor Talla Ndiaye, also 18, has featured in pre-season as well.
The departure of Ibrahima Konate has left Liverpool needing an experienced partner for Van Dijk. According to the Guardian, Konsa has emerged as a target. Arsenal are also interested after William Saliba suffered a back injury at the World Cup, but Villa's £60 million valuation is reportedly beyond the Gunners' budget.
Konsa's experience
Konsa has two years left on his contract at Villa, where he has played since 2019, making 286 appearances in all competitions. The 28-year-old brings significant Premier League experience and could fit Iraola's needs, as the manager has voiced frustrations over the squad's lack of depth.
So far, only Jacquet and Victor Munoz (£35m from Osasuna) have been signed this summer. The shortage is so acute that Iraola's assistant, Tommy Elphick, had to fill in at centre-back during a recent training drill.
Iraola's admission
Iraola recently admitted: "With the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now so I think it's a solution that we are trying to find, yes."
Gomez will miss the Premier League opener against Newcastle on August 23, leaving Van Dijk as the only fit senior centre-back. Van Dijk did not join the squad on their pre-season tour of the United States, giving Iraola less time to work with him before the season starts.
"When the market is open, you have to be always open to new options to improve the squad," Iraola said last month. "There are obvious situations where we need to sign players."
Summer of transition
Liverpool are undergoing a significant transition, with Iraola replacing Arne Slot after a disappointing campaign that saw Konate, Mohamed Salah, and Andy Robertson leave. Adding to the challenge, Fenway Sports Group chief Michael Edwards has also departed, increasing the pressure on sporting director Richard Hughes to secure deals.
