Liverpool ready to sign 'the best' on the continent

Liverpool are ready to go all out to sign one of the 'best' defender on the continent.

When it comes to areas where Richard Hughes definitely needs to add fresh investment into the Liverpool squad, it's the centre-back department.

He tried to do it in the summer. Hughes brought in Giovanni Leoni but ultimately missed out on the signing of Marc Guehi, which means Liverpool's depth didn't get any better with Jarell Quansah leaving to join Bayer Leverkusen.

Ultimately it may have actually gotten worse. Leoni's ACL injury picked up against Southampton has ruled him out for the rest of the season, leaving Liverpool with just three senior centre-back options.

Two of those in Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate have very uncertain futures at the club. Gomez almost left to join AC Milan in the last window. Meanwhile Konate is yet to extend his deal that expires at the end of the season and Real Madrid are sniffing for his services.

Ultimately, it's entirely possible that neither of them are going to be at the club next season. It's also entirely possible that in two years time none of the club's current available centre-back options are going to be at Anfield.

Van Dijk's contract expires in the summer of 2027. Whether Liverpool would want to extend a 36-year-old's contract by then, remains to be seen.

So Hughes has to build for the future. Leoni is one of those players, but he alone cannot carry Liverpool's depth in the centre-back department.

There will be others in the mix, too.

According to the Daily Mail one options being considered by the club is Deinner Ordonez. The report claims that Liverpool scouts are huge admirers of the Ecuadorean wonderkid, who is regarded as 'the best player of his age-group in the whole of South America.'

Anfield Watch was the first to break the news of Liverpool's interest in Ordonez earlier this year.

He is indeed one of the best players on the South American continent, particularly in his age-group.

A product of the very impressive Independiente del Valle academy, Ordonez is regarded as the best prospect to have emerged from the team since Moises Caicedo.

He was born in 2009 and he's only recently turned 16-years-old. As per FIFA rules Liverpool won't be able to sign him until January 2028.

But in terms of building Liverpool's future centre-back department, he is definitely an ideal fit. He's so comfortable on the ball and he's a very imposing defender as well.

There are shades of Van Dijk about him. Liverpool would be smart to get a pre-transfer agreement now, before anyone else swoops in for his signature.

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