Liverpool

Liverpool: Fabrizio Romano discusses the club’s link with Sven Botman

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Image for Liverpool: Fabrizio Romano discusses the club’s link with Sven Botman

Speaking recently on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has shed light on Liverpool’s reported interest in LOSC Lille centre-back, Sven Botman.

Since joining Lille from Ajax in what was a £7.2 million deal last summer, Botman has highly impressed over his 18 Ligue 1 appearances for Christophe Galtier’s side, making an average of 1.2 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 2.9 clearances and 68.2 passes per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 7.08/10 – ranking him as the fourth-best player in a side that currently sit third in the French top flight.

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If recent reports are to be believed, the £22.5 million-rated 20-year-old has caught the eye of Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, with Foot Mercato reporting last month that the Reds said to be interested in making a move for the defender in January.

However, according to Romano, speaking on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, there have been no advanced negotiations between Lille and Liverpool regarding the transfer of Botman.

He said: “There is a big emergency for Liverpool. In my opinion, they need a centre-back. But what they say is, ‘We are just considering opportunities, or we [will] stay with this team.’ So, no big players incoming [for around] 30, 40 [or] 50 million euros.

“Botman – there are a lot of rumours saying [about] medicals but there is nothing. The player has been scouted, appreciated, [he’s a] good talent, but there is nothing advanced either with the player or with the club.

“Also, a lot of players now don’t want to join Liverpool [and] play 5, 6, 7 matches, then the big ones are coming back from their injuries and then [the new signings] are on the bench for one season or more.

“So, at the moment, Liverpool are still with the same idea: ‘We can stay with this team. If we have an opportunity, OK. If we don’t, we stay with this one.'”

Do Liverpool need a new centre-back in Jan?

Yes

Yes

No

No

TIF Thoughts on Fabrizio Romano’s comments regarding Sven Botman…

So, according to Romano, it would appear that, despite the fact that Klopp has been left with none of his three senior centre-backs available for selection due to injury, Liverpool are not currently working on a deal to sign Botman, or indeed any other centre-backs, in the January transfer window.

However, we are in agreement with Romano in that the club should be making moves to sign a new defender in the winter window should they wish to give themselves the best opportunity of winning the Premier League and going deep into the Champions League.

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Football Writer for Snack Media