Next Liverpool signing revealed as Klopp moves to remedy weakness Luton draw exposed

The position Liverpool plan to enter in January has been revealed after the 1-1 draw against Luton Town revealed an alarming lack of depth, according to a report.

The Reds were expected to sweep aside newly promoted Luton Town despite being on the road on Sunday. If Darwin Nunez had been clinical, Liverpool might well have left Kenilworth Road with all three points and a handy boost to their goal difference.

Instead, the Uruguayan missed a series of fantastic chances and without Luis Diaz’s late equalizer, Liverpool’s only point could easily have been nil.

A surprise selection for the match was Joe Gomez at left back. Gomez is no stranger to playing as a wing-back, although he generally plays on the right and rarely on the left. The start at left back was indeed Gomez’s first since 2015.

Kostas Tsimikas had been given the starring role in the previous three meetings with Liverpool amid Andy Robertson’s ongoing recovery from a shoulder dislocation.

However, Tsimikas’ delivery when bombing forward was poor against Everton, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth (EFL Cup). His defense also left a lot to be desired.

Gomez may have been selected in part to nullify Luton’s aerial threat from set-pieces. However, as a right-footed centre-back playing as a left-back, momentum was lost in attack after attack as the ball was fed to Gomez. More often than not, his favorite option was to go back inside and the moment was lost.

Meanwhile, on the right, Trent Alexander-Arnold still doesn’t have enough competition for his place. Gomez is his main back-up, but offers nothing close to Alexander-Arnold’s attacking threat when deployed as a right-back.

In addition, the use of Gomez in the full-back positions means that Klopp is short of a central defender. With Klopp making regular substitutions in the EFL Cup and Europa League this season, having to deploy Gomez as a full-back is not ideal.

Now, according to Football InsiderLiverpool are looking to address their lack of depth in defense over the winter window.

Versatile defender wanted in January, but key target ruled out

The online outlet says Liverpool are ‘exploring a potential deal for a versatile defender’ in January. It is reiterated that a player who can ‘shine in multiple roles’, as opposed to a specialist in one position, is in the club’s thinking.

The piece refers both to the worrying decline in quality at left-back since Robertson’s injury, and to Alexander-Arnold possibly playing in midfield. Both factors combine to make a versatile defender Liverpool’s top priority when the market reopens.

As such, a rumored move for centre-back Goncalo Inacio, for example, might not materialise.

Instead, Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly is being mentioned as the kind of player Liverpool will move for. Kelly is equally adept at playing as a centre-half as he is as a left-back and it is that flexibility that Liverpool crave.

However, Kelly will not move to Anfield in January as he learns TEAMtalk Bournemouth will reject any offer they receive.

Their reasoning behind that stance is understandable as the Cherries are determined to lose arguably their best defender in a relegation scrap.

Nevertheless, it is apparently a player of Kelly’s ilk that Liverpool will sign to start in 2024.

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