The Liverpool defender has barely featured since arriving at Anfield.
When Liverpool signed Ragnar Klavan back in the summer, seasoned Bundesliga observers felt he was the missing piece of the jigsaw for the Reds’ defence, joining free agent Joel Matip to form the bedrock of Jurgen Klopp’s new-look side.
Alas things have not gone according to plan for the Estonia international, who started the first two matches of the campaign before slipping out of contention, featuring just three times in the Premier League since.
Klavan’s 45-minute outing against West Ham United last weekend was his first significant participation in the league since late September, and while he has featured in Liverpool’s EFL Cup squad he would have been hoping for so much more.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s decision to pick Lucas Leiva as a makeshift centre-back against Bournemouth while Klavan sat unused on the bench was baffling to say the least; especially when the Reds shipped three late goals to lose 4-3.
But it certainly appears that for all his achievements in Germany, where he featured 140 times for Augsburg, Klavan is not currently trusted by Klopp, at least not as much as some of his teammates.
Some Liverpool fans are calling for Klavan to start alongside Matip in tonight’s clash with Middlesbrough and it could yet be the start of an effective partnership.
But something is not right in regards to Klavan’s early months at Anfield and one wonders if he will ever truly win over his manager or if Klopp is already considering more new defensive recruits next summer.
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