Liverpool legend Jan Molby has insisted that the Reds should have looked at other options after they failed to negotiate a deal for Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk. The Netherlands international had been Liverpool’s prime target for the summer transfer window with Jurgen Klopp having seen him as the perfect fit for his backline.
However, the Reds backed off from lodging an offer for his services after the Saints complained to the Premier League over an illegal approach from the Merseyside outfit. As a result, the Reds failed to recruit a new centre-back to their ranks, and Molby feels the club were wrong to focus on signing the Dutch footballer.
“Was Van Dijk really the only defender who would have improved this team? I refuse to believe that was the case,” he wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo. “Of course some weren’t for sale but part of scouting is finding players. I wonder about the boy Davinson Sanchez, who went to Spurs from Ajax. Why didn’t we show any interest in him? I still think we’re a more attractive proposition than Spurs. It makes you wonder sometimes.” At times, even with a Bet365 bonus code 2018 the best odds you could get on Van Dijk finally making the move across to Anfield was Evens, but sadly it never came to pass as the Transfer Window slammed shut.
The Reds have made another slow start to the Premier League campaign with just seven points from the first five games of the season. Klopp’s side suffered a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City at the Etihad last week, and they have since played out draws against Sevilla and Burnley – the former on their Champions League return.
Liverpool are already five points adrift of league toppers Manchester City, and their title hopes appear to be fading as they continue to struggle against the mid-table teams, who hold a tight defence against them. Despite the progress made under Klopp, the Reds have failed to bag any silverware since their League Cup final triumph over Cardiff City in 2011.
Whilst going forwards they have proved to be a powerful force (not least because they managed to keep hold of Philippe Coutinho, even after a massive £110m bid from Barcelona), their defending has been lacklustre at best, with none of Lovren, Klavan or Matip taking charge in the centre of defence. To be fair, they aren’t heped by Klopp’s flip-flopping between keepers Mignolet, Karius and Warner, but it seems Liverpool are still looking for a player who can take command at the back – something that Virgil Van Dijk could have helped with.