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Transfer News: Liverpool Chase Versatile Winger From Belgium

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By Thomas Hein

Anderlecht's Frank Acheampong is believed to be a transfer target for Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are certainly on track to make it to the top four come the end of the season but the one thing that can throw this off track is injuries to key players. The Reds have been hit hard with the absence of Philippe Coutinho in their attack but the defence has been a cause of concern since the start of the season.

The Reds have played James Milner as the left-back this season but haven’t found a replacement for Alberto Moreno. The Spaniard was signed from Sevilla but has struggled to be consistently good and Klopp seems to have had enough of him.

Moreno has mostly featured in cup games this season and the German manager seems to have found a replacement for the 24-year-old Spaniard.

According to the reports from the Sun, the Reds are tracking 23-year-old Frank Acheampong. The Ghanaian plays for Anderlecht in the Belgian league and can play not only as a left-back but also as a left winger.

Is Acheampong the right man for the Reds?

Looking at his career so far, Acheampong is a league winner in two countries but the level of competition in one of them isn’t the greatest. The 23-year-old picked up his first title with Buriram United in Thailand and then picked up the league title with Anderlecht in Belgium.

More than his record of winning titles, it is a bit of a risk to sign players from the Belgian league unless they are turning up great performances on a regular basis. The best examples include Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku but even they had to spend a few years grafting their craft before making it big in the Premier League.

Acheampong’s versatility is his greatest asset for now but Klopp might be looking for a proper defender rather than someone who is shoehorned into the role. The 23-year-old would probably struggle to make a name for himself in the Premier League but he does have a decent scoring record for both clubs.

It is reported that the Ghana international could be signed for as little as £6 million with Sunderland and Newcastle looking to sign him up. It is important to note that Acheampong will be away on international duty for the African Cup of Nations, which again is something that Liverpool would want to avoid dealing with.

Liverpool would want to bring someone in as soon as possible and it is unlikely their left-back will be Acheampong. They have been linked with moves for other defenders such as Jonas Hector or Sead Kolasinac, who play in the Bundesliga.

Those stars are better placed to perform for Klopp and his knowledge of the Bundesliga would certainly help him bring one of the pairs to England.