Liverpool reportedly made a last-minute attempt to sign Lille centre-back Sven Botman on transfer deadline day, according to The Mirror.
The Reds were reportedly willing to include out-of-sorts striker Divock Origi in what is described as a ‘complicated deal’ to bring the Dutch defender to Anfield in the final hours of the window.
At the beginning of January, it had looked as though Botman was the chosen one as speculation around the 21-year-old intensified. However, the Ligue 1 leaders dismissed the prospect and Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team switched targets – including ‘sounding out’ Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate.
Having remained patient throughout the window, the Premier League champions were forced into action on deadline day due to the severity of Joel Matip’s injury. Marseille’s Croatian centre-back Duje Caleta-Car and Lyon defender Marcelo are also mentioned on the list of targets as Liverpool scrambled desperately for a solution.
A switch to Lille would have been a return to an old stomping ground for Origi. The Belgian scored 16 goals in 89 appearances in France before arriving on Merseyside.
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Thankfully, the perceived failure of this proposal didn’t perturb the champions as they signed defensive duo Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak.
This deal would have made plenty of sense for the Reds, with Origi’s influence diminishing at a worrying rate recently. By contrast, Botman is flourishing at the elite level and looks to have a bright future ahead of him, as well as solving an immediate problem at Anfield.
Origi’s potential departure would likely have put pay to Takumi Minamino’s move to Southampton in the dwindling hours of the window.
