Liverpool seemingly wanted Benoit Badiashile before being pipped to signing the Monaco defender by Graham Potter’s Chelsea.
That’s according to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs and Caught Offside, who claim that Liverpool ‘really liked’ Badiashile.
However, it’s claimed that Chelsea swooped in too quickly for Liverpool to sign the Frenchman.
Liverpool were seemingly looking to wait until the summer to make their move for Badiashile.
Chelsea weren’t waiting around though and snapped up Badiashile in a £35million deal, handing him a seven-year contract.
The Blues signed another Liverpool target in January as Enzo Fernandez made a big move from Benfica.
Chelsea’s spending may well have frustrated Liverpool on a couple of fronts, with the Reds now hoping for less frustration in the summer.
Benoit Badiashile another sign of Liverpool’s interest in a left-footed centre back
It seems fairly clear at this point that Liverpool are looking for a left-footed defender.
RB Leipzig star Josko Gvardiol has been heavily linked of late but will cost a huge fee to prise away from RB Leipzig.
Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Max Kilman has been touted too and Liverpool appear to have wanted Badiashile.
All three are naturally left-footed centre backs and it points to Liverpool focusing on that specific position.
Virgil van Dijk has been Liverpool’s left-sided defender for years now but he is naturally right-footed.
Jurgen Klopp may feel that the time is right to bring in a left-footed player to aid Liverpool’s ability to play out from the back.
Badiashile could have done that for Liverpool but it just wasn’t to be.
The one glimmer of hope here is that signing Badiashile may take Chelsea out of the race to sign Gvardiol this summer.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with Gvardiol but Liverpool will now hope to win the race fro the Croatian after being pipped to Badiashile.
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