Needed more than Semenyo: Liverpool leading the race to sign £34m talent
Liverpool are allergic to signing centre-backs.
This isn’t true, of course, but this summer, the Reds signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma for a £27m fee, and the 18-year-old became only the second permanent senior signing since Virgil van Dijk’s record-breaking transfer in January 2018, the first being Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig in 2021.
With Leoni out for the season after rupturing his ACL on his Reds debut, Arne Slot’s side have been left frustrated, with defensive issues forming the crux of Liverpool’s wider struggle this season.
Despite fierce speculation over Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo’s future – Liverpool have been in the mix but Manchester City look set to win his signature – the need for a new centre-half remains great.
Liverpool lining up winter Guehi alternative
Guehi, 25, is one of the best defenders in the Premier League. One of the best players. With Van Dijk turning 35 next summer and the error-riddled Konate soon out of contract, FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are sure to contest for the Crystal Palace captain’s signature.
But Guehi is a free agent himself by the end of the term, so Liverpool may have to play the waiting game. Even so, the need for a new centre-back is great, and if the right opportunity emerges in the New Year, the Merseysiders must pounce.
Well, as it would happen, such a shot has materialised, with Bolavip confirming Liverpool’s interest in Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez ahead of the January window.
With Chelsea dropping out of the race, the suggestion is that the Reds are the frontrunners having been given a clear route to securing his signature, albeit with Serie A side Inter Milan also now in the mix.
Ordonez, 21, is considered one of the most talented up-and-coming centre-backs out there, and it would take a Belgian-record fee of €40m (converting to about £34m), to prise him away from Bruges.
Why Liverpool need to sign Ordonez
Make no mistake, adding a forward like Semenyo to Slot’s squad would mark an improvement for Liverpool. But, having phoned the Ghanaian’s reps in November, FSG have opted against matching the intensity of Manchester City.
Why is this? Semenyo has been one of the finest players in Europe this season, after all, with nine goals and three assists spread across 17 games in the Premier League.
Could it be because Liverpool have instead decided to prioritise a defender? There is a stronger case to be made for a centre-half, with Liverpool’s leaky backline causing so many problems this season, and Konate and Van Dijk depicting cracked shells of their usual selves.
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Ordonez is young, but he’s gained experience in the Champions League and as a top talent in the Belgian top flight, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing him as “something remarkable”, with “an impressively complete profile” for such a young defender.
The Ecuador international, moreover, ranks among the top 9% of positional peers across divisions relevant to the Belgian Pro League for passes attempted and pass completion, the top 16% for progressive passes and the top 2% for carries per 90, as per FBref.
This natural ball-playing ability is something that would serve Liverpool well, providing Slot not just with the defensive depth he needs but a more important cog than a wide forward like Semenyo, who would be more expensive besides.
With Florian Wirtz coming into his own, Cody Gakpo an experienced member of the squad and Rio Ngumoha billed as one of the most exciting talents in the country, it might just be that an up-and-coming defender like Ordonez proves exactly the player the Anfield side need.
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