‘Needs to happen’: Liverpool tipped to sign 22-year-old defender to partner Virgil van Dijk

Follow us on Google Discover

Darren Ambrose has backed Liverpool to secure the transfer of Wolfsburg’s rising defender Micky van de Ven and how the move ‘makes sense’.

Liverpool’s new transfer chief Jorg Schmadtke has a strong knowledge of the Bundesliga following his arrival this summer, so it would be understandable that a player like Micky van de Ven has been mentioned as a possible target.

Former Premier League midfielder Ambrose spoke about Virgil van Dijk not having a regular partner at Liverpool and how his fellow countryman, who only turned 22 in April, could be the answer, as he told talkSPORT.

Jurgen Klopp saw his backline decline during the most-recently concluded Premier League campaign, including his star centre-back’s form falling off a cliff.

Van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Nat Phillips and Ibrahima Konate are the main centre-backs at the club, with the latter perhaps being the best performer during the 2022/23 season.

Konate arrived from RB Leipzig, and aside from his injury issues, he has proved to be a top signing, so perhaps the Reds will dip into that market again. There is talk and links with van de Ven, with Ambrose sharing his thoughts.

“It does (make a lot of sense signing van de Ven),” said Ambrose. “Matip, Gomez, they have all tried to partner van Dijk. He is the main defender, even when he is off form, you know he will turn it around.

“The injury, he did pick up a bit of poor form, but he will turn it around. But he needs a stable partner. Every good team have two centre-halves that are stable and they play every week, with back-up, so that needs to happen.”

Talk about the midfield, but what about the defence?

The main talking point, and so it should be, is about fixing Liverpool’s midfield this summer, with a new face already through the doors in Alexis Mac Allister.

But what about the backline? Does that need a makeover? Will Klopp see last season as a blip and make no changes or perhaps very few changes will be made?

Either way, some fans have argued that something needs to be altered because, if things go wrong again during the early stages of the 2023/24 campaign, then Liverpool’s defence will come under serious stick.