Liverpool are planning ahead as they desperately need defensive reinforcements.
The Reds have had a simply disastrous start to the season that has left them in the bottom half of the table, with their title defence all but over in November.
There is still a glimmer of hope, but a lot depends on what happens in just over a month’s time in the January transfer window, with their chance to recruit and get back on track.
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The defence is the area that is in need of a change due to how fragile it has been, with Liverpool already conceding 20 goals in the league this season.
There are many names being linked and rumours are starting to get stronger, but one club’s director has reiterated that he does not want his star to leave anytime soon.
Dayot Upamecano of Bayern seen during the UEFA Champions
Photo by Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Bayern Munich insist they want to keep Dayot Upamecano
Liverpool’s list of options seems pretty endless at this point, although there are a few players who keep cropping up into conversation.
One of these is Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano, with many clubs seeming to be after him given that he is out of contract in the summer.
Just like Ibrahima Konate, he has been offered a deal but is yet to sign it, and Bayern’s director of sport Max Eberl has again admitted that they do not want him to leave in January or in the summer.
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“Upamecano is one of the best defenders in the world. We would like to keep him at the peak of his career as internal star signing,” he told SportBILD.
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“We are still talking. I believe I can sense that Upamecano feels very comfortable with the path we have chosen.”
Confidence seems to be high that they can keep hold of him, but if not, Liverpool will definitely be one of the clubs circling, although they will face an uphill battle to sign him ahead of the likes of Real Madrid.
Vincent Kompany also labelled him as a ‘vital’ part of his squad, showing just how much he means to his manager and why he wants him to stay so badly.
Liverpool should focus on Marc Guehi
Another big name out of contract in the summer is Marc Guehi, but unlike Upamecano and Konate, he does not play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, with all due respect to Crystal Palace.
They very much rely on selling stars to be sustainable, meaning that losing him for nothing is a massive loss, probably even bigger than playing half the season without him.
Will Marc Guehi end up at Liverpool?
“If he goes in January or the summer, who knows? I hope he stays until then so we can have him a bit longer”
Adam Wharton on Marc Guehi leaving Crystal Palace
So with that said, Liverpool should try and tempt them with a January sale as they need him as soon as possible, especially as almost every club will want him on a free if not.
He is Premier League-proven and homegrown, making him the perfect option, with it already evident in the past that he was desperate to join.
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