Prior to the January transfer window, a handful of players are reportedly in Jurgen Klopp’s sights.
As Jurgen Klopp assesses his squad possibilities in advance of the January transfer window in order to prepare for the second half of the 2023–24 season, Liverpool is reportedly considering possible additions.
After 11 games, the Reds are only three points behind the top of the Premier League standings, which is a gradual improvement over their poor fifth-place finish from previous season. The team has had a strong start to the season.
The simplicity of the Merseyside team’s midfield transition has contributed to their success thus far. However, a total reconstruction is needed in the summer with the departures of Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson, and Naby Keita.
In an attempt to challenge at the top once more, Klopp chose Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai to replace the old Anfield heroes. These decisions have proven to be successful early on for the Reds.
Liverpool is apparently looking to recruit more players in the January transfer window despite the success of the summer window; defensive targets are the next wave of upgrades to watch out for.
January transfer targets for Liverpool
The Sporting CP giant Goncalo Ignacio has been identified as a possible target to be watched at Anfield in January. Portuguese media sources claim that the Reds have a fondness for the player.
Sport Witness said that Liverpool would need to spend €60 million (£52.6 million) in order to sign the defender after sending scouts to observe the 22-year-old in action.
Liverpool’s reported interest in the Portuguese center-back makes sense given his outstanding development, but Klopp’s team isn’t keeping an eye on just one young defender.
Leny Yoro, 17, is reportedly admired by many Premier League teams. Despite his youth, he has emerged as one of LOSC Lille’s preferred central defenders this season.
According to the article, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool are among the teams that are “aware” of the teenager’s development. His current market value is estimated to be €20 million (£17 million), but that amount could climb sharply if he maintains this level of play in Ligue 1.
Leny Yoro
’s playing style
Yoro broke onto the first-team scene at Lille last season, securing 13 Ligue 1 appearances at centre-back to mark the beginning of his career at senior level after progressing through the ranks of the club’s academy.
The adolescent, who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, is a clear aerial threat to the defense, but as Jacek Kulig noted in his Football Talent Scout network, the defender’s skills go far beyond taking use of his height.
Being one of the most exciting prospects in Europe right now, the 17-year-old is exhibiting signs of maturity beyond his years, with one commenting on his “composure and calmness that exudes through the entire back line.”
Yoro possesses ‘excellent technical skill’ in receiving and passing the ball, which is recognizable in most top-tier modern center-backs. This makes him a reliable player to have at the back when transitioning play and guarding the goal.
Kulig dwelled on the Frenchman’s understanding of when to play the ball out from the back, and his ability to ‘beat the press’ through passing or driving forward, areas of his game reinforced by his statistics over the past year.
As per FBref, the Lille starlet ranks in the top 8% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for his rate of 58.91 carries per 90, showcasing just how high the youngster’s ceiling is with reference to his room for progression and stance in the senior game.
As well as being statistically among the best in Europe, the teen has been compared to one of the greats currently in the Premier League, reinforcing how strong of a signing he could be for Liverpool.
Why Leny Yoro would be a good signing for Liverpool
When it comes to praise, U23 scout Antonio Mango has had a lot to say for Yoro’s rise to prominence in France, lauding him as “immense” and dubbing him a “Rolls Royce” calibre defender.
Most interestingly, Mango noted that he sees traits of Virgil van Dijk in the centre-back’s game the more he develops, making him the ideal eventual heir to the Dutch hero at Anfield when the time comes to change the scenery at the back.
Klopp’s current options in central defence come in the form of Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and emerging prospect Jarell Quansah, highlighting that adding firepower to the back line would not hurt Liverpool’s depth in January.
Out of the five options at centre-back, two of the players are over 30 years old, with the infamous Dutchman and Matip both 32 and on the other side of their primes, hinting that signing a refreshed prospect could signify Klopp’s thoughts for the future.
| Leny Yoro vs Virgil Van Dijk & Ibrahima Konate 2023/24 league averages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistic | Leny Yoro | Virgil Van Dijk | Ibrahima Konate |
| Pass completion % | 90.4% | 91.9% | 92.4% |
| Tackles | 1.65 | 1.20 | 1.34 |
| Interceptions | 1.43 | 1.69 | 0.58 |
| Clearances | 3.95 | 6.02 | 4.03 |
| Dribblers tackled % | 69.2% | 100% | 40.0% |
| Touches | 74.52 | 91.69 | 91.92 |
| Per 90 figures via FBref | |||
As highlighted in the table above, Yoro has a long way to go until he reaches the status of Van Dijk, who has enjoyed an illustrious career at Anfield, however the statistics show that the fundamentals are there for him to challenge in Klopp’s side.
At just 17, Liverpool could capture one of the hottest prospects in Europe in the teenager, who could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Konate and enter the fold of the French national team in the near future behind an astonishing list of star talent.
With Chelsea said to be the favourites to capture the starlet at present by 90min, it will be interesting to see just where the teen’s career blossoms, with little to argue about how efficiently he would fit in at Liverpool.
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