If there’s one area of the pitch where Liverpool are weak, it’s their defence. Luckily, Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have been scoring enough goals to overcome their team’s frailty at the back.
Since moving to Anfield in the summer as part of a £15m move, Mamadou Sahko has made just 13 appearances. There’s been enough evidence to suggest that he could go on to become a Liverpool legend if he’s given a real shot, but he’s still adapting to a new league and new surroundings. At 24-years-old, I expect that there’s a lot more to come from him.
The same can’t be said of Kolo Toure, who’s now 32-years-old (according to his Wikipedia profile) and beginning to show signs of wear and tear. When he’s been called upon this season, he’s made a costly mistakes and gifted the opposition goals. In other words, he’s not a player that can be counted on.
Whilst Daniel Agger is still performing to a decent standard, he too will be in his 30s before this year is out, as will Liverpool mainstay, Martin Skrtel. I can’t help but feel that Brendan Rodgers needs a long-term plan for the future of his defence.
It certainly looks like he’s on top of things. According to The Mirror, Liverpool are keeping a watchful eye on Red Bull Salzburg’s promising young centre-back, Martin Hinteregger. The source even claims that the Reds ‘dispatched a scout’ to watch the 21-year-old in action for Austria against Uruguay.
The Liverpool scout would have seen an imposing figure, who’s tall, physically fit and strong in the air. Whilst he’s a little gangly, he’s also pretty sprightly, covers a lot of ground, works hard and reads the game well. I’m sure the scout would have been impressed by the way that he managed to keep Luis Suarez quiet for much of last week’s international friendly.
With Champions League football on the way (potentially), Brendan Rodgers needs to make sure that he and his squad are well prepared. Signing a promising young defensive talent like this is a smart step in the right direction. Let’s see if Brendan can pull off yet another bargain.
What’s your take? Is Martin Hinteregger a good option for The Reds?
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