Liverpool made contact with Sven Botman’s agent in November with a view to bringing the Dutchman to the Premier League champions, as per Foot Mercato via Get French Football News.
The Reds’ current defensive crisis is well-known and it is widely expected that, should Jurgen Klopp strengthen his squad in January, it would be with a central defender.
Botman currently plies his trade for Ligue 1 club Lille and reports claim that the French side would be willing to sell him for £45m.
Italian giants Inter Milan are also credited with an interest in the 20-year-old, who has made 22 appearances this season, including six in the Europa League.
The report added that, while the contact is yet to lead to official negotiations between the two clubs, Klopp clearly likes what he sees in the youngster.
Owing to the current financial crisis facing French football, the Reds and Michael Edwards in particular will fancy their chances of knocking a fair chunk off Lille’s demands.
READ LIVERPOOL VERDICT
As ever, those surrounding the Liverpool transfer speculation are keeping their cards close to their chest, and in many cases distancing themselves from any January arrivals. However, it seems almost unthinkable that Klopp would be happy to go into the second half of the season with only Joel Matip and Fabinho as our senior centre-back options.
Both Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips have performed admirably when called upon, but with potentially crucial league encounters as well as the Champions League knockout rounds to come, it’s a lot to ask of such inexperienced players to depend on them for such pivotal fixtures.
Whilst Botman himself is a relatively untried performer at an elite level, the Liverpool squad needs strength in depth right now; and with his potential and the possibility of landing him on the cheap, the Dutchman could be a very worthwhile signing to make.
