Liverpool move for two transfer targets as Jurgen Klopp reacts swiftly to huge blow

Liverpool celebrated their third win in four league matches as they earned a hard fought 2-0 victory against a Sheffield United side boosted by the return of club icon Chris Wilder.

The result could prove to be a key victory in Liverpool’s title pursuit after Manchester City’s shock defeat to Aston Villa. However, the match also left Jurgen Klopp with an unwanted hurdle to overcome after a long term injury to key defender Joel Matip who could miss the rest of the campaign.

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk could be partnered by either Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate or youngster Jarell Quansah in the coming weeks. But as January approaches it appears increasingly likely that the Reds will move for a fifth centre back, especially given the injury record of Gomez and Konate and the inexperience of Quansah.

The Mirror has reported that Jurgen Klopp is keeping a close eye on Wolfsburg star Maxence Lacroix. Lacroix is a French defender and a familiar face to Konate who played alongside him for several years in Sochaux’s academy. Like Konate, Lacroix has represented France at youth level, although he is yet to make his way onto the senior international stage.

The 23-year-old stands at 6ft3 in height and is blessed with the versatility to play at either centre back or right back, which is a useful skill given Trent Alexander-Arnold’s recent tendency to operate in a more advanced role.

Lacroix is believed to be available for a fee of around £25m and he has one and half years remaining on his existing contract with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Lacroix is not the only centre-back tipped for a move to Anfield in the wake of Matip’s injury, with the Mirror’s John Cross also claiming interest in Crystal Palace‘s Marc Guehi.

The England footballer is a familiar name to Premier League fans and he has been a stalwart in the Crystal Palace team since his arrival from the Chelsea youth set up in 2021. The nine-time international is tipped to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.

Sky Sports reports that Ange Postecoglou is also an admirer of the 23-year-old meaning the Reds could face competition from Tottenham for a player that is reportedly valued at around £50m.