Liverpool’s centre-back shopping list needs two names

It’s easy to look at the centre-back market and start dreaming about the shiniest name going. But Liverpool’s reality is a bit more sensible than that. If Virgil van Dijk isn’t being moved on mid-contract, then the idea of splashing out for a headline left-sided star feels like a stretch. Not impossible, just… not the way this club usually operates.

Truth is, I don’t see Virgil’s drop-off arriving any time soon either. Centre-halves can age well when their reading of the game is elite, and he’s still the reference point for how we defend. The only real worry would be the kind of injury that takes a yard away. And you can’t plan a squad purely around fear.

Succession planning isn’t the same as replacing Virgil

If you’re talking about an eventual successor, that’s a different conversation. That’s where a younger option like Leoni makes sense in theory: someone you can bring in, let him learn the language of Liverpool’s defending, and not ask him to be “the new Virgil” on day one.

That’s the key bit. Grooming a centre-back is a long game. You’re teaching positioning, communication, when to step out, when to hold, and how to cope when Anfield is screaming at you to be brave on the ball.

Market opportunities: value, versatility, and timing

Some names feel less like a grand strategy and more like the sort of opportunity Liverpool have always liked. Schlotterbeck fits that bracket if the contract situation makes him attainable. He’s also the kind of passer who changes your build-up: left foot, range, and the confidence to punch it through lines rather than roll it five yards and hope.

Then there’s Guehi, who also reads as opportunity plus usefulness. Home-grown matters in squad building, and having someone who can cover across the back four is exactly how you keep a season from wobbling when you pick up knocks and suspensions. In that sense, he’d be a very tidy option as a Gomez-type replacement.

Profiles matter: Konate, Gomez, Matip… and what comes next

The other interesting bit is how different targets map to different current defenders. Jacquet sounds like a straight swap profile for Ibrahima Konate: similar athletic tools, similar job description. Ordonez, by contrast, feels closer to the “can do a few roles” mould that suits Gomez, rather than being a pure destroyer.

And Ait Boudlal? That reads like the old Joel Matip lane: tall, rangey, comfortable stepping in and carrying it. Even the right-back ability hints at that Liverpool habit of valuing flexibility when the calendar gets brutal.

However it lands, the conclusion feels right: Liverpool need at least two centre-backs. One to help right now, and one to make sure the next era doesn’t begin in a panic.

Written by FlyPelicanFly: 19 December 2025