Liverpool have been offered the chance to sign Arsenal centre-back Sokratis, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go podcast [via Rousing The Kop].
The Reds have the opportunity to bring in a new defender this month, as Jurgen Klopp looks to deal with a shortage in that area.
With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both likely out for the rest of the season, and Joel Matip injury-prone, Fabinho is the only fit centre-back currently, in what is a rare role for him.
In a surprise turn of events, Romano claims Liverpool have been offered Sokratis, but they don’t see him as a viable option:
He was offered to Liverpool too, you know that? Liverpool were looking for an opportunity and he was offered to Liverpool, but at the moment he’s not an option.
Yes, also he could be an opportunity, he was an opportunity because he was offered.
But at the moment Liverpool have not decided whether they’re signing a centre-back or not, they’re still in the middle of the situation, so nothing has been decided.
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It is a strange transfer link that has almost come from nowhere, with Sokratis not yet making a Premier League appearance this season.
That suggests he is very short of match fitness, at a time when Liverpool could do with someone being able to slot in straight away.
On top of that, Sokratis only averaged one aerial duel win per game for Arsenal in the league last season – a figure that matches David Alaba’s numbers in the Champions League in 2020/21, with the Austrian reportedly deemed too ineffective in that area to be a Liverpool signing.
It would arguably feel like a panic buy rather than a measured signing, so the Reds are right to ignore the opportunity to bring the Greek centre-back in.
