Liverpool missed the boat not investing in a defender

The biggest transfer story of the summer for Liverpool Football Club was how they would go about remodeling their midfield. However, what was largely forgotten in the that discussion was the need for investing in defensive reinforcements as well.

While the club eventually did very good work in the midfield by securing the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch they failed to bring in a single defender.

The lack of depth in defense has slowly become a bigger and bigger issue as Ibrahima Konate is always in danger of an injury scare while Virgil Van Dijk is not getting any younger.

There were brief moments where defenders such as Piero Hincapie were linked to possible moves. However, in the end, nothing came to fruition.

As look at things right now, with Konate injured again and Van Dijk suspended, it was the aging Joel Matip and perennial underachiever Joe Gomez who started in the middle of the defense against Aston Villa.

Granted, they played well enough and got a clean sheet, it is not a pairing fit for title challengers.

The only spot in the defense that has two adequate options is the left-back position with the hardworking Andy Robertson backed up by Kostas Tsimikas.

Investing in further depth across the defense was something that needed to be done. Now, a long-term problem for Ibou, Trent Alexander-Arnold or Virgil could mean big trouble.

Manchester City can roll through Josko Gvardiol, John Stones, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake among others in the heart of their defense. That is investing properly in the spine of the team.

The midfield is absolutely crucial in Jurgen Klopp’s system but they have to be supported by a confident backline. The preferred starting four of Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate and TAA is up there with the best in England.

However, there are a lot of matches to be played over the course of a season and you cannot expect those four to be fully ready to run out 55 or more times depending how results go.

At least one more high-end defender was required to bring a little more comfort and stability going forward. As it is, there will be no help until January or if a youngster steps up multiple levels.

After the £110 million offer to Brighton for Moises Caicedo, Liverpool only spent a fraction of that on the likes of Endo and Gravenberch, There were clearly still funds ready to roll but the club did not find a defender they deemed worth investing in.

It’s an unfortunate situation for the overall depth and quality of the squad, but if the big names can stay on the field for at least 85% of the matches, it might not be an issue. However, the club and fans shouldn’t be walking on egg shells each time a Liverpool defender takes a few seconds to get up off the ground.

Time will tell if the club made the right choice investing solely in the midfield. We hope it deems them right.