OPINION
Liverpool must hijack Tottenham’s interest in defender Matthijs de Ligt as the teenager would be the ideal centre-back to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the Reds’ defence next season.
Football.London previously reported that Spurs were eyeing up a potential £50million summer swoop for Ajax’s teen sensation, with Toby Alderweireld’s future looking uncertain at the club.
However the Reds need to ensure they win the race for de Ligt’s signature if he is to leave Holland at the end of the season, as he would make Jurgen Klopp’s side serious title contenders during the next campaign.
The Reds greatly improved their defence in January when they signed van Dijk from Southampton for £75million, according to the BBC, but they still need to find a player worthy of partnering him at back.
Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip, who are currently at Anfield, are clearly not the centre-backs needed to help the Reds go on to lift trophies during the next campaign.
Both have made several blunders throughout their Reds careers, which have cost their side valuable points in the past.
De Ligt is capable of outshining both of those players for many seasons at the club given his age and talent.
The 18-year-old defender has already shown he’s capable of playing top-level senior football, as he made 59 appearances for Ajax, and he’s only set to get better.
De Ligt is comfortable on the ball and likes to play it out from the back, so would fit right into Klopp’s style of play at Anfield.
The teen would work well with van Dijk as their styles compliment each other, and given the fact that the current Reds defender is only 26-years-old, their partnership could flourish for many seasons to come.
The two will also benefit from playing together for the Netherlands, as both are very likely to be regularly picked by their nation due to their immense talent.
Therefore with that in mind, the Reds must hijack Spurs’ £50million interest in the teenage defender as he would be the dream partner for van Dijk.