Liverpool now making massive move to sign England star

Liverpool are now interested in another England international who could be the perfect option.

The transfer window is entering its most important phase, and for Richard Hughes, the next few weeks could define his Liverpool legacy.

There is no hiding from the reality of the situation. If the window closes without significant reinforcements, serious questions will be asked about Hughes' work as sporting director.

Big decisions and ambitious plans count for very little if Andoni Iraola is forced to begin his first season with a squad that is clearly short in key areas.

Right now, Victor Munoz remains Liverpool's only senior signing.

There is every reason to be excited about the Spaniard. He has the athleticism, technical quality and potential to become an excellent addition. But expecting one new arrival to transform a squad with so many obvious shortcomings is unrealistic.

Liverpool's problems run far deeper than that.

Several positions still need strengthening, and the injury situation has only made matters worse. Rather than preparing for the new season with healthy competition across the squad, Iraola is instead waiting anxiously for players to return simply so he can put out a functional starting line-up.

Nowhere is that clearer than in defence.

Jeremy Jacquet arrived as one of the club's brightest young prospects, yet Liverpool are still waiting to see him make his debut.

The Frenchman has not even returned to full training ahead of the friendly against AS Monaco, making his availability for the Premier League opener against Newcastle United increasingly uncertain.

Joe Gomez's latest injury setback saw his pre-season end after just eight minutes, ruling him out for the opening weeks of the campaign.

Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined until September as he continues his recovery from a serious ACL injury, leaving Iraola desperately short of experienced centre-back options.

That leaves Virgil van Dijk as the only certainty for the opening day. The bigger concern is who starts alongside him.

Liverpool are hoping Jacquet will recover in time, but there is no guarantee that will happen.

If he misses out, Iraola's options become alarmingly limited.

Mor Talla Ndiaye is an exciting talent with enormous potential, but asking such an inexperienced defender to make his Premier League debut in those circumstances would be a huge gamble.

Ifeanyi Ndukwe is unavailable altogether because he has yet to secure the work permit required to play.

It is a situation Liverpool simply should not be facing with the new season almost upon them.

There is still time for Hughes to rescue the window, but that opportunity is disappearing quickly.

Unless Liverpool strengthen before the deadline, the consequences could extend far beyond one disappointing transfer window - they could shape both Iraola's first season and Hughes' reputation at Anfield for years to come.

Thankfully, it looks like Hughes is trying to react to the market and pull off key defensive moves. Liverpool were heavily linked with England international Djed Spence recently, who could play both right-back and left-back.

That move looks unlikely with several sources indicating he is no longer a target. Maybe it's one Liverpool might revisit later on in the window.

However, the Reds are now reportedly interested in another England international.

According to the Daily Mail, Ezri Konsa is now on Liverpool's radar and they claim Aston Villa are increasingly resigned to allow the England defender to leave.

Konsa can play as a right-back and he can play as a centre-back so this is a move that makes a lot of sense. He also has a lot of experience in the Premier League and crucially counts as homegrown.

This could be a massive move that could save Liverpool's entire season.