Liverpool are expected to add to their defensive ranks next year; having prioritised midfield and attacking investment over the past few years, Jurgen Klopp will bolster the backline and is compiling a list of targets.
Liverpool transfer news – defenders
The Premier League side are doing much better this season having endured a challenging and unsuccessful previous campaign, but there is still work to be done and the backline would welcome one or two impactful additions.
As such, Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand, with TEAMtalk claiming late last month that Klopp's side are joined in their interest by rivals Manchester United, who desperately search for some defensive iron.
Earlier this year, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed that the 26-year-old holds a release clause worth €50m (£44m) in his contract, with Arsenal monitoring his situation.
Robin Le Normand's style of play
Liverpool would be delighted to welcome such a talented player to Anfield, with Le Normand completing 13 appearances across all competitions this season for Sociedad, keeping two clean sheets over three performances in the Champions League.
The Basque side are currently fifth in La Liga, Le Normand is an impressive player on the Spanish scene and has carried over last season's standout form.
Indeed, the French-born ace starred last term, with Sofascore recording his stellar performances, completing 88% of his passes, keeping 13 clean sheets, averaging 3.3 clearances and winning 63% of his duels.
Player
Club
Fikayo Tomori
AC Milan
Antonio Rudiger
Real Madrid
William Saliba
Arsenal
Sven Botman
Newcastle
Andreas Cristensen
Barcelona
*Statistics sourced via Football Transfers
As the table portrays, the defensive titan offers a range of abilities tailor-made for Premier League football, both industrious and composed alongside a natural ball-playing aptitude that has prompted Klopp to consider a swoop.
Liverpool are indeed in the market for defenders and will find that situation becoming all the more important should Joel Matip depart for pastures new at the end of the campaign, with the long-time servant's contract set for expiry next year.
Joel Matip set for Anfield departure
Matip was one of the very first signings of the Klopp era, agreeing a pre-contract agreement in February 2016 to join when his deal with German side Schalke expired at the conclusion of the 2015/16 season.
Liverpool's German manager had arrived in October 2015, and signed only Marko Grujic and Steven Caulker on loan (remember that one?) in the winter transfer window, meaning the Cameroonian was the very first Klopp signing to play a central role in the upcoming silver-coated success.
Now aged 32, Matip's contract is indeed set for expiry at the end of the season, and while a renewal is not out of the question, there is little sign at his stage that he will remain beyond next summer.
It's not been a bad ride, whatever happens; Matip has currently completed 197 appearances for the Merseyside outfit and has earned praise for his "dominant" displays by former Liverpool player Sami Hyypia.
His distinctive set of pitch-surging qualities have left him a beloved figure at the club, ranking among the top 4% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
No disrespect to the man, but the 6 foot 4 Matip doesn't look the most… mobile of players, and certainly not the type to embark on high-speed odysseys up the pitch, deft touches and wily weaving motions through the thirds, with Pep Ljinders even revealing that they had taken to dubbing it the "classic Joel dribble".
The £100k-per-week veteran has not been the preferred choice in the biggest moments since Liverpool met Ibrahima Konate's £36m release clause at RB Leipzig in 2021, but he is a valuable member of the squad nonetheless.
It was he who deftly knocked the ball into Divock Origi's path in the left corner of the box on June 1, 2019. A steady moment of preparation, a pregnant silence, the Belgian fired the ball past Hugo Lloris' goal to sink Tottenham Hotspur in the late stages of the Champions League final, confirming triumph and sending the roaring support into rapture.
He's won the clean sweep of silverware under Klopp's wing. His name perpetually cemented into an illustrious period of Liverpool's history, Matip leaves a legend, an unsung hero of sorts.
They say a good storyteller knows when to stop spinning the yarn, and Matip's rich journey would reach an appropriate conclusion at the end of the season, having started six of Liverpool's ten Premier League matches this term but only due to Konate's fluctuating fitness levels.
The stats that show why Le Normand would be a good signing for Liverpool
With a player of Le Normand's ilk welcomed to the fold, the latest stage of Liverpool's redevelopment could take place and a dynamic and combative presence could enrich the backline, with former manager Manolo Marquez saying: “He’s aggressive, correct with the ball, strong in duels and fast. I like him, he’s a very important player for La Real.”
Le Normand ranks among the top 27% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90, which is not exemplary but above average, also among the top 4% for aerial wins per 90, underscoring his superiority in that regard.
The six-cap Spain star's consistent placement on the left side of the central defence also provides Virgil van Dijk with support, which is something that Liverpool hold among the foremost priorities heading into 2024.
Whether Klopp and co are willing to part with the money required to meet his release clause remains to be seen – and whether a deal of lesser monetary value can be struck is indeed another question entirely.
But Le Normand is a player on the rise and one demonstrating incremental gains season upon season, and with a player needed to bolster the existing ranks and marry into Klopp's high-energy system, he might just be the man for the job.