Liverpool are competing with Borussia Dortmund for FC Basel centre-back Manuel Akanji, according to The Independent. With the January window coming up, Liverpool have been linked to a number of targets but one name doing the rounds lately is that of FC Basel centre-back Manuel Akanji. The report claims that Dortmund want to sign the defender in January but that Basel want to keep hold of the talented youngster until the end of the season.
This makes Liverpool the favourites to land Akanji in the summer. The 22-year-old has propelled to international fame, following his displays for the Swiss giants in the Champions League and is believed to have attracted attention from Jurgen Klopp. He is quite a highly-rated player and while he could prove to be a valuable addition, he may not have the required experience.
Our attack has been splendid this season and we have won most of our games solely due to that. When it comes to the defence though, the centre-back area is a mess. We need a new central defender (along with a goalkeeper perhaps, but that’s another topic for another day) and maybe we should focus on securing a player with greater experience?
The Virgil Van Dijk saga keeps getting more complex as days go by and it seems unlikely that we would land him. However, that does not mean we cannot get a player with a tad bit more experience than Akanji. Now, it should be clarified that the youngster is by no means a bad option.
The amount of skill and guile he has shown at such a young age is truly commendable and he will be a good signing for any club. Normally, he would have been a great buy for us but in the present situation, we might be better off bringing in a proven quality player with enough Premier League experience.
When it comes to Akanji, there will undoubtedly be a risk factor. More often than not, players from foreign leagues find it tough to settle in and that could be the case for him at Anfield. In the long-run, he could be a good option since that will provide Klopp with ample time to mould him to suit the requirements but since we need a central defender so desperately, perhaps making a move for him now may not be the best idea.
