Liverpool eye £25m deal after Joel Matip heartache but Virgil van Dijk disagrees
Liverpool are reportedly looking to sign a new defender in January following the news of Joel Matip’s serious knee injury but Virgil van Dijk might not be on board with such a deal. The Reds are set to be without Matip for the rest of the season after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the win over Sheffield United on Wednesday.
Matip will also be out of contract this summer, with Liverpool eager to strengthen their back line for the long term by using the winter market to their advantage. They are interested in bringing Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix to Anfield next month after being left impressed by his recent displays in Germany, according to The Mirror.
Lacroix has long been linked with a potential move to England, with Chelsea among the sides to have previously been credited with an interest in his signature. He is said to be valued at around £25m by Wolfsburg but Liverpool may try to negotiate in order to drive down his asking price.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is also thought to be rated highly by Jurgen Klopp but the Eagles are unlikely to sell the England international until the end of the season. He is also said to be a player of interest to Arsenal but it seems as though he will be staying at Selhurst Park for at least another few months.
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It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will be able to strike a deal with Wolfsburg for Lacroix when the bidding opens next month. Van Dijk might disagree with any hasty January transfers, however, after waxing lyrical about Reds team-mate Jarell Quansah following his rise to prominence on Merseyside.
Quansah, who spent last season on loan at Bristol Rovers, has moved up the pecking order at Liverpool after some promising displays this term. Van Dijk heaped praise on the 20-year-old after the news of Matip’s injury was confirmed, saying: “I think every time Jarell has had the opportunity so far he has done well.
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“When the moment is there for him, like every other player who will come in when we rotate or have injuries or suspensions, they have to be ready. We still have Ibou [Ibrahima Konate] and Joey [Joe Gomez], but Jarell is a very good option as well. For all the younger generation, if you are close to the first team and training with us, you have to soak everything in.
“He’s a good boy. He wants to learn and he is learning. If you told me at the start of the season he would be doing as well as he is doing, I’d say you were lying. We will see what the future brings for him but it looks quite bright.”
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