Liverpool need a centre-back in January, but are unlikely to spend big in order to get one through the door.
The Reds missed a trick in the summer when they failed to get a deal for Marc Guehi over the line at the last minute.
That mistake has come back to bite Liverpool in a big way, with new signing Giovanni Leoni suffering a season-ending knee injury in September.
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Arne Slot has been left with only three senior centre-backs as a result, with one of those – Joe Gomez – since picking up an injury himself.
Liverpool could come back in for Guehi, but are unlikely to want to spend too much on a player who could be signed for nothing in six months’ time. With a bargain addition seemingly on the agenda, the Reds could attempt an intriguing short-term fix and take a punt on soon-to-be free agent Thiago Silva.
Thiago Silva looking for European return
The suggestion that Liverpool could look to Silva to solve their defensive worries may be laughed out of the room by some. He is 41 years old after all.
However, it is only 18 months since the legendary Brazilian was gracing the Premier League with Chelsea.
Thiago Silva pictured during Fluminense's Copa Sudamericana match against Lanus
Photo by Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images
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Silva proved everyone wrong after signing for the Blues as a 35 year old in 2020. He went on to play four seasons at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League and playing more than 150 matches.
The centre-back icon has starred for first club Fluminense over the last year-and-a-half, again proving his fitness by making 66 appearances.
With the Brazilian season now over, journalist Fabrizio Romano says Silva is set to become a free agent, and has his eyes on a return to the European game.
Liverpool should sign Thiago Silva on a free in January. Prove me wrong
Thiago Silva to Liverpool quote
Sergio Ramos is available too 🫢
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“Thiago Silva has decided to leave Fluminense with immediate effect and to try a new European chapter,” Romano told his YouTube channel on Monday. “Go back to Europe to get closer to the family.
“He will be a free agent, available in January, similar to Sergio Ramos, two big names available for this January transfer window.”
Silva or Sergio Ramos could patch a hole for Liverpool
Clearly, the idea of bringing Silva in at Anfield would be a very short-term one for Liverpool. But there is a logic to it.
The Reds are clearly in need of another centre-back to get them through the season. The January window is tough, though, and it can be nigh on impossible to get targets who Liverpool will almost certainly already have in mind.
Available, experienced, quality and clearly keen on a return to the Premier League, someone like Silva could mitigate the difficulty of finding the right option to provide a temporary solution.
“For me, it is a pleasure and an honour to have managed him,” former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said of Silva in 2024. “He is a top player and one of the greatest players ever.”
A partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Silva could be something special to see the season out at Liverpool. Failing that, Sergio Ramos is also set to be available for nothing. What a story that would be.
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