After a season where Liverpool’s attacking flair has been obvious from the get-go, Brendan Rodger’s main priority this summer will be fixing his defense. They have conceded 50 goals this year after all.
The Reds came close to claiming British football’s big prize this season, but they fell at the last hurdle thanks to their leaky back-four. Whilst the likes of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were able to carry the slack for large parts of the year, they’re not quite good enough to carry the entire team in high pressure situations.
The 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace was particularly alarming. With Liverpool’s backs against the wall, their defense cracked. If Brendan wants silverware next season, he’ll need to fix the leak.
This doesn’t necessarily mean bringing in a new centre-back (though this will help). Rodgers may also be considering signing a high-class defensive midfielder — somebody who can provide the back-four with additional levels of protection and give Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho more time (and space) on the ball.
This brings me to The Star‘s claim that Liverpool are set to rival Manchester United for William Carvalho’s signature this summer. They even go as far as to claim that The Reds have lodged a £30m bid for the Portuguese International.
This is very exciting news indeed. As defensive midfielders go, there are very few players currently at Carvalho’s level. And let’s not forget that he’s only 22-years-old. He’s a player for the future, who also happens to be performing well in the present. That’s why he’s such a catch. That’s why his price-tag is currently so high.
Carvalho has bags of energy, he’s physically tough and he loves to dive into tackles. Imagine if you will, an even more exuberant Cheick Tiote. He’s the kind of player who will win a great deal of yellow cards over the course of a season, but he’ll also win you games.
If Liverpool want to avoid shipping so many goals next season, signing Carvalho would be a step in the right direction. Let’s just hope that Manchester United don’t force them out of contention.
What’s your take? Should Brendan Rodgers really join the battle to sign William Carvalho?
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Good strong defensive midfilders are few in the market LFC should move fast and sign him.