We’ve prepared a 1xBet Ireland review with an analysis of possible actions by the Reds’ management to strengthen the defence in the upcoming off-season.
Active, but ineffective
In January, Liverpool suffered two failures in the transfer market. First, Manchester City snatched Marc Guéhi. Liverpool wanted to sign the England centre-back last summer and intended to wait until the end of this season, when the player’s contract with Crystal Palace was due to expire. Alas, this strategy didn’t work.
Second, even good relations with RB Leipzig (it was from this German club that Liverpool bought Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konaté) didn’t help the Merseysiders get right-back Lutsharel Geertruida, who is already playing successfully in the EPL on loan for Sunderland.
Liverpool’s January activity stems from a difficult personnel situation in defence, with the main problems relating to the right wing.
| Player | Number of injuries in the 2025-26 season | Number of days missed |
| Conor Bradley | 3 | 185* |
| Jeremie Frimpong | 3 | 88 |
| Joe Gomez | 2 | 52 |
* – out for the rest of the current season
The right wing of Liverpool’s defence has been a huge problem in the current campaign due to constant injuries. It even got to the point where Arne Slot had to repeatedly use central midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai in this position, and in some cases, the experiment was a failure, as in the match against Galatasaray. But in January, the Reds only signed 20-year-old centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, who will join the team in the 2026-27 season.
Liverpool do need to strengthen their defence
Everything suggests that Jacquet won’t be the only new defender for the Reds in the summer of 2026. There are several reasons for this:
- In 2024, 1xBet Ireland considered Xabi Alonso to be the main candidate to succeed Jürgen Klopp. Now the Basque is also the favourite to become Liverpool’s next manager. Alonso’s possible arrival means new demands on the players, and in Xabi’s favourite 3-4-2-1 formation, the defenders’ roles are very different from those required in a 4-3-3.
- Jérémy Jacquet won’t solve all the problems in central defence. Firstly, Virgil van Dijk’s age is beginning to take its toll. Secondly, Liverpool haven’t had a left-footed centre-back for a long time.
- On the left wing, newcomer Milos Kerkez is taking some time to settle in, while 31-year-old Andy Robertson is past his prime.
Best candidates
Nico Schlotterbeck and Micky van de Ven
These defenders would suit Liverpool in every way:
- high level;
- Age (Schlotterbeck is 26; Van de Ven is 24);
- both are left-footed;
- versatility: both defenders can play both in central defence and on the left.
Van de Ven, who combines physical strength and incredible speed, learned the English style of play at Tottenham and looks like the perfect candidate. The problem is that buying a player from a competitor club in the EPL is very difficult and expensive. Meanwhile, the price for Schlotterbeck will definitely be lower, as Nico’s contract with Borussia Dortmund runs until the summer of 2027.
Lutsharel Geertruida and Julian Ryerson
Liverpool are sure to maintain their interest in the Dutchman. Ryerson is also on the radar of the club’s scouts as a possible reinforcement for the right wing. The Norwegian is playing his 8th season in the Bundesliga, is good at joining attacks, is resilient and hasn’t suffered any muscle injuries since autumn 2024.
Álex Grimaldo
If Alonso takes charge of Liverpool in the summer, he may well remember one of his favourite players. Grimaldo is unique in his characteristics: he’s a playmaker who often plays as a left wing-back and also has a perfect understanding with Florian Wirtz. The price for the 30-year-old Spaniard is unlikely to be high, as his contract with Leverkusen expires in the summer of 2027.
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