Liverpool have been in the hunt for a central defender in recent times and have targeted Niklas Sule of Hoffenheim – reported Mirror, a few days back. The 21-year-old German has been one of the top performers for the fourth-placed Bundesliga side and is also one reason why the club is the only unbeaten side in Germany.
The €30m-rated central defender had been linked with a move out of Hoffenheim according to Eurosport for a while and many outlets claimed that Jurgen Klopp would be looking to Germany once again to bring in a central defender. Sule, though, has added some fuel to the fire with his latest comments to Corriere Dello Sport:
“Milan and Inter? Going to one of them would be a step back, as for years they’ve been struggling to qualify for Europe. They’ve lost the magic that made them special. They had great players in the past but the clubs are in decline. I’d prefer the Premier League.”
The German had been rumoured to be on the radar for the Milan giants but his statement has clearly ruled moving to any other country, barring England, out. The 25-year-old could be seen as arrogant and lacking a fight as dissing any club, even if they are struggling is the wrong thing to do.
Inter and AC Milan might have fallen on tough times but they still are legendary clubs and making such statements could also be seen as disrespectful to the legacy of the clubs. This could also be seen as a warning to Liverpool as the Reds too have struggled to win many titles over the years and Sule might want to move to a club that is more of a finished article.
Could Sule be the right signing for the defence?
Sule is known for his tackling ability and his aerial ability is second to none but his comments have to be taken with a pinch of salt. The Reds need to bring in quality defenders as they have struggled whenever the pairing of Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren is broken.
We saw that during the 4-3 loss against Bournemouth and have seen it on a number of other occasions as the Reds crumble under pressure. Sule would certainly be a great option to have and could turn out to be one of the shrewdest signings from the German manager but his attitude does not seem to be right.
This comment could also be construed as him wanting to ensure he gets the right move and not end up in a rubbish rumour that many papers bring out. Liverpool did sign Roberto Firmino before Klopp came to the club and with a proper German connection in the side now, Sule could also be joining the Brazilian at the club.
The Reds have a great chance of making it to the Champions League this season but they need to tighten their defence and Sule could be the man that fixes that up. It all depends on how much Klopp is willing to spend on signing the defender but price does not seem to be a problem for the former Dortmund manager and FSG as soon as they find the right man.
