Despite the impending arrival of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a world record defender fee of £75m, Liverpool could still do with improving their error-prone defence.
Earlier this month, the Reds were being linked with a move for FC Basel’s impressive young centre-back Manuel Akanji, but faced competition from Borussia Dortmund for his signature, but now it appears as if the Bundesliga side have had a change of heart.
Twitter: Bild are reporting that Borussia Dortmund have walked away from negotiations with FC Basel after they upped their a… https://t.co/vgcH6SZn0k (@Chris78Williams)
German source Bild have reported that Dortmund have walked away from negotiations with the Swiss club after they raised their asking price to €30m, leaving Liverpool in the lead to sign him.
The 22-year-old Switzerland international was being lined up by the Reds in a transfer that would be finalised at the end of the season as opposed to the January transfer window, and as far as we know, their plans have not changed.
The arrival of Van Dijk gives Liverpool another quality option at the heart of the defence but Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan have been unable to prove their worth despite being given countless opportunities, and perhaps Akanji is being considered as a replacement in the long-term.
