Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports Football (7:18pm, October 19, 2020) that Liverpool should sign Dayot Upamecano in January instead of waiting until next summer.
The former Liverpool defender, who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, believes that the defending Premier League champions need to bring in a centre-back in the wake of the long-term injury to Virgil van Dijk.
As reported by The Guardian, the Netherlands international centre-back could miss the rest of the season due to the knee injury he suffered during the Merseyside Derby against Everton at the weekend.
Carragher believes that Liverpool should pay whatever it takes to bring 21-year-old centre-back Upamecano from RB Leipzig as soon as the January transfer window opens.
The Englishman said on Sky Sports Football (7:18pm, October 19, 2020), as transcibed by The Independent: “Liverpool’s next signing had to be a centre-back next summer anyway. That was the next one, that has to be brought forward to 1st January – not the end of the month.
“Upamecano, at Leipzig, there’s talk of him. He’s not the profile of Van Dijk. But that’s the one Liverpool wanted next summer. Bring it forward, pay the extra money and do it on January 1st.
“That means Liverpool have to get through the next 11 league games without Van Dijk. They have to go big in terms of a signing.”
Dayot Upamecano to Liverpool?
Upamecano is a very talented and promising young centre-back who is highly rated by former Arsenal star Per Mertesacker.
The former Germany international defender told Goal.com in August 2020: “I was very excited about the Atletico game. He showed so much and did it right: the courage of a Lucio who just goes forward, but also my solid game of simply finding the right man or withdrawing.
“If he continues like this, works on himself and remains consistent, he will generate more interest. He’s definitely one of the most exciting central defenders the world has to offer right now. RB certainly made the contract extension very tasty for him. It’s exciting to see where his path is going.”
Upamecano signed a contract extension with Leipzig only in July 2020, and with the German club aiming to win the Bundesliga this season and also playing in the Champions League, they may not be willing to sell the France international in January.
However, if Liverpool are really keen on the youngster and think that they need to sign a centre-back in January, then it would not do any harm to at least make a bid.
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