The ideal summer signing Liverpool could bring in to push defenders won’t cost a penny

Liverpool have started their transfer window as they mean to go on, with the statement signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Hove Albion making headlines after he joined for a respectable £35 million. Jurgen Klopp made it abundantly clear at the end of the 2022/23 season that his mission this summer would be to restructure his midfield after identifying it as the main problem area.

Of course, plenty of people could have told the gaffer that his weak point was his engine room, and has been for a long time. Liverpool’s fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season will have been a big wake up call for Klopp and true to his word, he’s wasted no time in cherry-picking his targets and putting the wheels in motion.

It’s highly unlikely that Mac Allister will be the only midfielder to arrive at Anfield this summer, especially given the fact the Reds have parted ways with Naby Keïta, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already, in order to make room for new recruits. With the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Sofyan Amrabat among the names on Liverpool’s target list, fans can expect a fruitful window and a shiny new midfield to aid the attacking powerhouse that is Klopp’s front three next season.

While the midfield is certainly the right area to focus on, Liverpool aren’t putting all their eggs in one basket either. The boss has also made it clear that there is the desire to recruit a new central defender and there are plenty of options out there to fit this bill too, some that won’t even require Liverpool to cough up a pretty penny for a transfer fee.

Daniel Amartey is one of several players set to leave Leicester City this summer, following their relegation into the Championship, and he could be an option for Liverpool to consider. The Ghana international joined the Foxes in 2016 from FC Copenhagen and made a total of 145 appearances for the club.

Amartey never really established himself as a consistent starter with Leicester, and an ankle injury also set him back for the entire 2019/20 season, as well as the majority of the campaign prior. However, he did play 20 Premier League fixtures for the Foxes this last season, and was relied on to partner Wout Faes as they battled at the bottom of the table.

Such is the situation for many Leicester players right now, Amartey is ready to leave the club and will no doubt be just as eager as the other departing stars to get back into top flight football before the new season starts. So here lies the dilemma — does Amartey join a club where he is guaranteed a starting spot, but not so much a shot at silverware, or does he follow the chance of trophies and accept the fact he’ll likely be on the bench a lot?

A move to Liverpool would certainly be leaning more towards the latter, but he could also pose as competition for their exisiting centre-halves. The Reds’ current situation in defence heavily suggests Klopp is unsure on who the best match is for Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman started all but six Premier League games for the Reds and during that time he was partnered with Joël Matip, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joe Gomez.

The final handful of games in the season saw Konaté and van Dijk in the centre-back partnership, but both were rested for the last match of the season against Southampton, while Gomez and Matip linked up instead. So while there are certainly options for Klopp, there doesn’t seem to be one confirmed combination just yet.

With that being said, this could also result in one of either Gomez, Matip, or Konaté leaving the club for more regular game time, because let’s face it, van Dijk is going nowhere. In order to choose the best defensive partnership for this upcoming season, Klopp will need to do a lot of monitoring during pre-season, and that could include trying out a new addition. Enter Amartey.

Yes, he may not have been an untouchable option in Leicester’s backline, but he has a lot of Premier League experience and won’t need to settle in and adjust to the league like a player from overseas would. Amartey was also part of the team that lifted the fairytale trophy under Claudio Ranieri in 2016, so he knows what it’s like to be part of a title-winning team.

Using the WhoScored? comparison tool, Amartey’s passing percentage (91.3 percent) was significantly higher than that of Gomez, Matip and Konaté’s last season. He also averaged more clearances (3.5) per match than the Liverpool trio. Sofascore have also highlighted the 28-year-old’s main key strength as ground duels, and who doesn’t love watching a clean, strong tackle to break down opposition play?

With his contract coming to an end this month, Amartey will be looking for his next move and Celtic are said to be interested in his services. This would reunite him with Brendan Rodgers, who made the mutual decision to leave Leicester back in April amid the relegation battle.

Rodgers being at Celtic will be a strong bargaining chip if the Hoops enter talks with the defender, so if Liverpool were to actually consider a move for Amartey, they need to act fast. Bringing in a player like Amartey without the headache of paying club transfer fees will be one less thing to worry about, as it seems likely Klopp has plenty more targets on the shortlist in other areas on the pitch.

Liverpool’s defence is not a high a concern as their midfield but the Reds have struggled massively in that area in the past and some unfortunate injuries could completely turn a positive run of form on its head. Klopp does still have Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips to consider, but after falling drastically down the pecking order, it’s unlikely they will be considered for regular first action, especially ahead of a season where Liverpool have a lot to prove.