Xabi Alonso may have hinted at Liverpool alternative if they unable to sign Levi Colwill

Liverpool are keen to sign a new left centre-back this summer, with Chelsea’s Levi Colwill a reported target

Having already signed two midfielders as part of a long-awaited technical upgrade, a new centre-back, preferably on the left, is also on Liverpool’s wishlist for this summer.

Jürgen Klopp confirmed this in May when he was asked directly if he wanted to sign a new centre-back.

“We are looking at all departments at the moment except for the goalkeeper,” the Reds manager told reporters. “Yeah, if there’s a good centre-back, I wouldn’t deny it. That’s it.” We definitely look at all areas of the pitch.

As a result, Liverpool have been associated with a host of names throughout the summer.

And while club sources have dismissed speculation attributing the Reds an interest in Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard and Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio, links to other alleged targets remain.

Chelsea’s Levi Colwill has his admirers at Anfield and certainly caught the eye when he helped England win the European Under-21 Championship this summer.

Elsewhere, Liverpool continue to be linked with Torino’s Perr Schuurs and VfL Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven, with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly in talks over signing the latter.

It looks like Colwill is currently the object of the Reds’ desires, although a transfer seems difficult at this stage. Football London reported that Liverpool have asked “more questions” about the defender’s availability, but Chelsea are in no mood to sell at the moment.

Brighton & Hove Albion are also said to have rejected offers of up to £40m for their former mercenary, who will hold talks with new manager Maurico Pochettino about his future later this month.

Colwill has two years left on his initial contract, which the Londoners can extend his contract for another year if certain playing criteria are met. Chelsea also want to tie him to a long-term extension if possible.

Ultimately, it appears that after talks with Pochettino, the 20-year-old will have to push for a transfer if Liverpool are to have any chance of securing the signing of him. And playing time at Stamford Bridge will determine his decision.

“I will talk to my family, to everyone I need, and I will make a decision,” he said after the European Championship final. “I have to play at the end of the day.”

As such, Colwill’s future remains up in the air and it’s unclear whether Liverpool will live up to the initial interest or be forced to shift their focus elsewhere. If they’re disappointed, is there a “good guy” there?

Granted, there’s no indication it’s Colwill or nothing for the Reds this summer. As the recent signing of Dominik Szoboslzai shows, they are still capable of pulling off a surprise transfer no matter who they are publicly linked with.

But while Liverpool have had success signing players who weren’t initially targeted by first choice in the past, they are also known to be waiting for the right signing rather than filling a void.

As a result, while there was no escaping the Reds facing their midfield this summer, chances are they will show patience in defense when needed.

Although Joel Matip has been linked with a summer break, at the moment he is still expected to complete the final year of his contract. While Nat Phillips and Sepp van den Berg could replace Rhys Williams, Liverpool’s four senior first-class centre-backs will remain intact.

So would the Reds be willing to continue like this if their search for a new central defender proves fruitless this summer?

If that were to happen, such a position would admittedly be unpopular given how the club fared when they opted to delay reinforcements at centre-back in the summer of 2020 and midfield the last summer.

Add to that the fact that Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all suffered injuries last season and Klopp’s new 3-2-2-3 formation arguably calls for more strength in central defence, and it would be quite a big gamble not to recruit staff.

At least Liverpool could fall back on the services of a backup solution, which would even interest Bayer Leverkusen at the moment.

Luke Chambers is a staple at Anfield, having featured for the Reds’ first team in last year’s pre-season and their mid-season friendlies before moving to Kilmarnock on loan for the second half of the season. season.

He is impressing in Scotland and he is again the subject of loan interest, this time from the Championship, although reports in Germany say Leverkusen are also in talks to sign the teenager.

Led by Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso, the Bundesliga side have tended to play in variations of a 3-4-3 formation following the Spaniard’s appointment last October.

In such a setup, Chambers at left-back would be an obvious option.
However, the England youth international is extremely versatile, as evidenced by the many positions he has held at Kilmarnock.

While he mostly played in his traditional left-back position, he also played left-back, left-midfielder, central midfielder and central defender during his time at North Las Vegas. border.

He is therefore also well suited as a left centre-back in a three-man defence, where he could certainly be used occasionally due to his more natural cross position when away to Leverkusen. Club sources suggest a move to the Bundesliga is not yet in sight, despite recent reports in Germany.

Traditionally, the Reds give young players a chance to impress in pre-season before deciding whether to move up to the first team, stay at youth level or go on loan.

However, it is recognized that if Leverkusen are looking to take the next step after Kilmarnock, it would be an attractive opportunity for Chambers should a move actually materialize

But if a Europa League side were interested in signing the 19-year-old, couldn’t he emerge as an option for Liverpool themselves? After all, both the Reds and Leverkusen are among the top seeds for this season’s group stage.

Of his 16 appearances for Kilmarnock, 15 have come from starts. Eleven of those appearances were left-back or left-back, while on two occasions he was sent into central defence, also having occasionally been in such a position under Klopp in friendlies.

Liverpool’s interest in a new centre-back on the left is initially to offer them a more natural defensive option as an alternative to Andy Robertson, who could also emerge later as a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

Admittedly, Chambers only meets one of those criteria, although it ensures he would be comfortable in the Reds’ new formation in the left-back/left-centre-back hybrid role.

Admittedly, the young defender is still unhappy with only having half a season in senior football under his belt.

After his time in Scotland, one would expect him to have to take a step or two as he is not ready for the physique of top-flight English football until he is ready for regular team duty first at Anfield.

But with Klopp still having his four experienced centre-backs, his chances in the Premier League will be limited anyway. Instead, the Europa League and League Cup group stages could follow before reassessing his situation in January.

A small step forward at Anfield is still possible in the coming months.
Stefan Bajcetic’s emergence last year demonstrates how it is possible for a youngster to break into the first team earlier than expected following an impressive pre-season.

Consequently, it makes sense for Liverpool to evaluate Chambers in pre-season before making a final decision on his future.

In an ideal world, the Reds sign a new centre-back before seeing Chambers make strides on loan at Leverkusen or in the Championship.

But if Liverpool are unable to strengthen accordingly this summer and need to reassess their options, at least Alonso’s interest in the defender suggests they already have a last resort for their overlooked hybrid role if needed.