DEFENCE: Of Leeds United's home record from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, above.placeholder image
DEFENCE: Of Leeds United's home record from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, above. | Getty Images
Liverpool have several targets being lined up for the summer but has one just blown their chances of a move to Anfield?
Liverpool will look to strengthen again in the summer and will be monitoring several potential targets between now and the end of the season.
In Europe, it is getting down to the business end of the campaign and how players react to the pressure of a title race or relegation battle should give an indication as to whether or not they have what it takes to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Do they stand up and be counted, or do they shrink into their shells? At the very highest level of elite sport, very rarely is the difference technical, instead, it is all in the top two inches of every athlete. Do they keep their heads whilst everyone around them is losing theirs.
Liverpool target fails transfer audition
Liverpool have been linked with a number of centre-halves already despite claims that Arne Slot is happy with the four that he will go into next season with; Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni. Given the age of the skipper next season, 35, and the recent injury problems of the other three, this would be a huge gamble, and a repeat of the one that saw no plan B after the transfer of Marc Guehi to Anfield collapsed.
If a senior centre-half is being targeted, one player who may have played himself out of the reckoning in recent weeks is Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. As Spurs spiral out of control, the Netherlands international has been as culpable as anyone and his latest performance, a 4.1/10 according to FotMob, against Atletico Madrid should sound alarm bells in Liverpool’s recruitment room. Not only did he cost his side a goal, but he made the sort of tackle that screamed of a player losing control and venting his frustration. A quality that is far from desirable in a centre-half. It isn’t the first time for Van de Ven either. If he was a target, he probably won’t be now.
What Micky van de Ven said after brutal Spurs display
Speaking after a calamitous defeat, Van de Ven cut a frustrated figure and almost one that has given up this season: “It was terrible, to be honest; a doomsday scenario,” he said, according to FCUpdate. “Everything that could go wrong in the first twenty minutes went wrong.
“Everyone slips, including me. Those are moments you simply can't do anything about. I can hardly stand here and start blaming the pitch. It’s terrible for Kinsky too. He’s making his debut. You wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I could, of course, give the standard speech that we all have to stick together and work hard, but we're just being dealt a blow after a blow. It's just really difficult.
“We have an important match this weekend against Liverpool that I can't play because I'm suspended, of course. But it's a truly terrible time. It's tough, I can tell you. Really tough. I have to keep going; this is life,” he said. “I'm not on my phone anymore; I'm completely done with it. Only family and stuff.” Hoping that things improve, rather than taking responsibility, never ends well.
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