Liverpool are a team with obvious flaws, but they’re also a stunning team when they’re firing on all cylinders.
Arne Slott’s side have struggled to get ahead, think through or overcome in recent months this season, often losing six of seven games in all competitions before a controlled victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League.
But there was something different about their 1-0 victory over their European rivals Real Madrid. Anfield roared for Virgil van Dijk and his Redmen, roared at Los Blancos and ex-Liverpool man Trent Alexander-Arnold, and received a frosty reception when he arrived after 80 minutes.
Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid | ||
|---|---|---|
liverpool | statistics | real madrid |
1 | the goal | 0 |
2.51 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.45 |
17(9) | Number of shots (on target) | 8(2) |
4 | big chance | 1 |
111.4km | Mileage | 112.7km |
38.8% | Possession | 61.2% |
4 | corner | 2 |
45% | won a duel | 55% |
Data via Sofascore | ||
This is the Liverpool we know. Energy, intensity and purpose across all areas of the field. But while Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate held up well against Kylian Mbappé and the full-backs were excellent, the plain truth remains that the Merseysiders are in dire need of reinforcements in central defence.
Liverpool are looking for a centre-back
Liverpool, of course, signed a centre-back this summer, adding Giovanni Leoni to their squad for a fee of £26m. The 18-year-old was worth the wait after winning gold, but he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on his debut against Southampton and has now been sidelined for almost a year.
But the failure to lure Marc Guehi away from Crystal Palace is undoubtedly a bigger blow. A deal was almost finalized on deadline day, but the Eagles were unable to find a suitable replacement and had little time to make a stop, with the player allowed to undergo a medical at Anfield and the transfer fell through.
There is still a possibility that they will be together. Guehi, 25, is in the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park and has no intention of signing a new contract. The problem now is that many of Europe’s top teams are seeking his signature, but Spanish newspaper AS confirmed this week that the Reds remain joint-top of the table, ahead of the likes of Real Madrid, along with Bayern Munich.
Liverpool want to sign Gehi for Bosman before the end of the season, but if that doesn’t happen in that race, sporting director Richard Hughes has a perfect replacement in Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni.
A further Spanish source said that Liverpool have been mentioned as potential candidates for Italian defender Bastoni, with FSG considering a bid of 100 million euros (approximately 8.7 billion yen) in January this year.
The veracity of this developing story is unknown at this stage, but there is no doubt that the 26-year-old is talented enough to stand out under Slott and has the style and experience to make a noticeable difference with Van Dijk inching towards the autumn of his glittering career at Anfield.
What Bastoni offers Liverpool
Liverpool need a centre-back. They’ve needed it for a while. Gehi was the first choice this summer, but Bastoni, whose ‘world-class’ ability has been hailed by commentator Matteo Bonetti, may actually be a more attractive option for the Anfield side.
He is a defender at the top of his game and one of the most important cogs in the Nerazzurri machine, having won two Scudettos and two Coppa Italia titles in the last five seasons, as well as winning the 2021 European Championship with Italy.
And the 26-year-old falls into the same category as Guehi. A centre-back with the talent to make an immediate impact, his prime years are yet to come as he develops deeper into his slot role within the team and reaches a whole new level of performance.
He is one of the best players in his position in the world. In Serie A this season, Bastoni has one goal and two assists in nine games, winning 70% of his aerial duels and averaging 1.8 tackles per game (data courtesy of Sofascore).
A strong passer and outside-the-box thinker, he could even surpass Guehi in ball-playing metrics, a Palace man known for his cool, calm and creative presence on the ball.
Bastoni vs Guehi (last 12 months) | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (per 90) | stick | Guehi |
the goal | 0.05 | 0.06 |
assist | 0.05 | 0.09 |
touch | 89.54 | 60.67 |
Pass completion rate (%) | 86.5 | 83.5 |
progressive path | 5.29 | 4.09 |
The action that creates the shot | 2.36 | 1.53 |
progressive carry | 1.88 | 0.77 |
successful take-up | 0.31 | 0.26 |
Number of balls collected | 3.53 | 4.12 |
Tackle + Interception | 2.62 | 3.12 |
clearance | 2.85 | 4.56 |
won an aerial battle | 1.53 | 1.91 |
Data via FBref | ||
As you can see, Guehi has become a more active defensive contributor over the past year. This is what you would expect from a team like Palace in the Premier League when compared to Italian giants like Inter. But Bastoni is smoother and more capable with the ball, and that’s where Guehi shines.
Granted, Gehi will be a free agent at the end of the campaign, which is very important, but whether Liverpool and FSG are willing to pass up the opportunity to sign a player of Bastoni’s caliber is another matter entirely. After all, it appears that bids are currently being made in bulk, according to reports.
A formidable centre-half with the passing range of a maestro has emerged. Liverpool could do a lot worse than adding Bastoni to their squad and securing a long-term Van Dijk successor with the perfect skillset to ease the transfer pain.
Bastoni. The perfect elite bastion to protect Liverpool’s last line for years to come. He has a wealth of experience at the highest level and a hunger to achieve even more.
He’s extremely talented, perhaps even better than Guehi, and with him in the mix, the slot defense will reach a frightening level of safety, balance, and progression.
