Liverpool line-up January transfer to REPLACE key defender

Liverpool are now lining up a January move to sign a defender.

It's a tough time for Arne Slot and Richard Hughes at Anfield. Things are at a difficult point on and off the pitch. On the pitch, Liverpool have failed to deliver results that the fans expected.

Off the pitch, there's a lot of internal decisions that have to be made.

And on top of everything else, Liverpool have not had the best of luck with injuries either.

Giovanni Leoni and now Conor Bradley are both ruled out for the rest of the season. It remains to be seen whether Alexander Isak is going to come back in time to feature from now until the end of the campaign.

So, Liverpool do not have a lot of options. In the defensive department, Slot's options are especially limited.

It's why the club are considering entering the transfer market.

According to a report in Absolut Fussbal, Liverpool are lining up a potential move for Borussia Dortmund right-back Julian Ryerson.

The 28-year-old is a Norwegian international, and he has been at Dortmund since 2023 after making a name for himself at Union Berlin.

Ryerson is quick and he has six assists already this season. He is definitely the type of right-back who could be on the club's radar.

His playing style would be well-suited to the intensity of the Premier League and he could be an excellent provider for the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.

The problem with him is the age factor. Liverpool don't tend to sign players who are as old as him and close to 30-years-old.

So, it would have to be a very good deal for them to green light the move.

Dortmund will be reluctant to do that. Ryerson is their first-choice right-back. He's got a contract at the club until 2028. They won't be wanting to lose him mid-season.

So, while Liverpool do need a right-back, whether Ryerson is the option for the Reds is moot.

He could be a short-term fix but long-term, it is questionable for how long he will be able to sustain the performances that he is producing right now.

He's in his prime at the moment. But that prime is a very volatile state. It could rapidly regress and then Liverpool would be stuck having to find another right-back.

Richard Hughes is much better off pursuing other options and looking at younger players in the market. Like Givairo Read, who Slot will know well from his time at Feyenoord.

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