With a lot of transfer rumours doing the rounds on the media, it is extremely difficult to pick out the genuine ones apart. Every football team has its own strengths and weaknesses and hence it is quite normal for the media to pick out the weaknesses and create transfer rumours based on that.

However, the latest one to comment on Liverpool transfers is former Liverpool defender and football expert Phil Thompson, who says that Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk, Oriol Romeu, and Ryan Bertrand are all targets for the Reds.

Liverpool’s struggle at the back is well-known and a lot of central defenders have been linked with the club in the past few months. Van Dijk, in particular, has been heavily linked with a £50million move to Anfield. Now, Phil Thompson claims that Liverpool are targeting the three Southampton players with a summer move in mind.

Thompson told Sky Sports about Liverpool’s interest in Van Dijk,

“I’d straight away say Van Dijk, who I have always rated. The way he plays the game would make him a perfect fit for a Klopp team. There’s always been an affiliation with Dutch players at Liverpool. I remember the 60s when we first played against Johan Cruyff’s Ajax and we were left in awe.”

“We obviously talk about Dirk Kuyt very highly and I think the club have a connection to that Dutch style of play. Our big issue is that the other sides in the top six will also be looking at him.”

Liverpool’s defence has been an area of concern this season and certainly needs strengthening. Whether or not if Van Dijk would be the answer remains to be seen, as the links intensify with every passing day.

On Oriol Romeu, he said:

“There might be a bit of interest as well in Romeu, who has had an excellent season and does exactly what it says on the tin. He’s a destroyer, he’s got a great attitude and passes the ball very well. If Southampton were interested in cashing in then he’d offer us something we don’t really have at the moment.”

“I wind up Le Tiss up asking if the tea lady makes a good brew and what her contract is like, but it’s a compliment to them really as they’re as good as anyone around at producing players.”

The Reds have had some problems in the central midfield region as well. Henderson and Lallana’s absence saw Emre Can step up to the rescue, and luckily so. But Liverpool remain light in the midfield department and certainly, new players need to be brought in. However, we don’t think that Oriol Romeu is the player who we need. Frankly, Liverpool deserve more than a mere Chelsea reject.

On Ryan Bertrand, Thompson added:

“Bertrand is another one who would improve us. James Milner has been nothing short of fantastic but he’s not a natural left-back and it’s hard to see any sort of future for Alberto Moreno at the club. Bertrand is a good defender and he times his movement going forward particularly well.”

Klopp somehow papered the cracks by playing Milner as a left-back. The versatile Englishman did not disappoint at all and has done really well in his new role. However, Milner cannot be considered as a long-term solution and a quality left-back needs to be bought. Bertrand is a quality left-back and it is quite obvious. Though he did not make the grade at Chelsea, it was not due to a lack of talent. He has remained a really bright player and is quite good. Thompson’s words about Ryan Bertrand excites us.

The Kop Times Verdict

On the whole, we feel that Van Dijk and Bertrand are two players who Liverpool can buy. Romeu is not the midfielder who we need and we hope that he is not the primary target for Klopp.