Liverpool have been out of sorts this season, but Wednesday evening's confident win over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome served as a timely reminder of what Arne Slot's side are capable of.
Now, the fourth-place Reds are in a strong position to head straight through to the last 16 of the Champions League, ahead of the final group stage match against Qarabag at Anfield in two weeks.
Also fourth in the Premier League, Slot will be far more confident about his side's chances of making real headway over the business months of the campaign, but there's no question Liverpool still have holes in their squad, with a lack of defensive depth in particular proving to be an Achilles heel.
How Liverpool plan to reshape their defence
Liverpool have not signed enough centre-backs in recent years. And while there is currently a concerted effort toward signing young prospects, Slot needs top-class options to aid Virgil van Dijk and co.
Liverpool Centre-back Signings since February 2018
Player
Giovanni Leoni
Ibrahima Konate
Ozan Kabak
Ben Davies
Sepp van den Berg
Data via Transfermarkt
Van Dijk was signed for a world-record £75m fee in January 2018, and the rest, as they say, is history. However, the Dutchman is now 34, and Liverpool need to find a successor swiftly, especially with Ibrahima Konate feared to depart when his contract expires
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are ramping up their interest in Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven, though they have been met with stern early resistance from the Lilywhites.
Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van de Ven celebrates scoring their third goal
Van de Ven might be in a struggling Spurs system, but his performances since moving to England have drawn plenty of acclaim, and his employers have listed him at £100m while they concurrently look to tie him down to a new long-term deal.
Why Van de Ven could succeed at Liverpool
Van de Ven has a rare depth of athleticism that sets him well apart from the lion's share of defenders in the Premier League and across Europe.
Played through on goal with the Dutchman barrelling at you must be a scary thing, and it's something that has thwarted many Premier League forwards over the past few years.
Having featured 80 times for Tottenham, Van de Ven has scored nine goals, captaining Thomas Frank's side five times in the Premier League this term.
Last season, the 24-year-old contributed toward Spurs' Europa League title triumph against Manchester United in Bilbao, making six clearances - including one extraordinary sweep off the line - to end the Londoners' trophy drought.
Declared a "world-class" player by presenter Adam Smithy, the Netherlands international might just need to take that leap of faith toward an elite outfit like Liverpool to realise his potential.
micky-van-de-ven-spurs
By doing so, he would follow in Van Dijk's footsteps, emulating his international captain's record-breaking move from Southampton way back when.
Van Dijk was always regarded as a top talent, but he reached another level upon that switch, now widely lauded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
Whether Van de Ven would reach that level remains to be seen, of course, but he's stood out in a tough setting at Tottenham over the past few years, displaying such prodigious strength and style in central defence.
Virgil van Dijk - Titles at Liverpool
Competition
Premier League
League Cup
Champions League
FA Cup
Club World Cup
UEFA Supercup
Community Shield
Data via Transfermarkt
Van de Ven has a long way to go before he can put himself on a level with his glittering countryman, but Liverpool's data analysts clearly spy an opportunity to sign a future superstar, and given all that is happening within the Merseysiders' backline right now, it's a deal that really could come to fruition.
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Liverpool extended their unbeaten run with a hard-worked win at Marseille in the Champions League.