Something to consider also is the return times for Gomez, Van Dijk and Matip… Van Dijk is the only one to give us some sort of timeline and that is he has a chance of playing the first games next season based on a full pre-season etc. It is just an estimate, not guaranteed at all either. Nothing like that has been given for Matip / Gomez… Gomez in particular I can imagine we will take our time over and not rush him back as he’s had quite a few big injuries at a very young age.
My point being, and for arguements sake lets say Konate is signing and Fabinho is no longer considered an option back there (i.e. not to repeat the mistakes of this season) this gives us;
Van Dijk, Konate, Gomez, Matip… We’d be hugely remiss if we went into the start of next season with that as our center back options… So for me we need a 5th and I expect them to get a lot of minutes first half of the season. My choice would be Kabak 100% (ignoring going for a Botman etc. Who there is no chance is coming here to be 5th choice). Gomez could also get minutes at right back btw.
All things being equal, I’d want us to sign Kabak and go into the season with Van Dijk, Gomez, Matip, Konate and Kabak as our options.
That is probably one too many under normal circumstances, but these aren’t normal circumstances. If we can get to January and the injured lads look strong, then we could look to move on Kabak at that point (if we pay about 15m for him, I’d expect us to at least break even)
But you can see what’s going on here. Whether he is good enough for us or not, Phillips has done really, really well and Klopp might be looking at him and wondering if he should be that fifth choice. It’s just about ability, it’s also about how Klopp wants to manage the club. Klopp wants to reward players, and when a lad comes into the team and defies expectation Klopp will want to reward that as a spur to others.
Phillips is also English (and I think club trained) so would help with quotas and the like.
To be honest if I were Nat, I’d be asking for a move. He could probably get a decent Premier League club at this point, and everyone at Liverpool, with the best will in the world, would be hoping he doesn’t play much next year.
If money is tight, and it surely is, I can see a rational decision being made around Kabak and Phillips, and choosing to put that money into midfield or attack.
Don’t forget about Ben Davies either. I know it become funny to almost see him as a missing person, but we know Klopp likes to keep players out of the first team until they have fully settled. It’s most likely that the punt hasn’t worked out, but it’s also possible that a good pre-season and he’ll be able to be an option.
Name them then? (for £18m I don’t think so)
Kabak has already proven himself in the most difficult season/league without any pre-season and he’s only 21.
Good point. His profile has grown hugely and unexpectedly. Other clubs will have seen him fit into a shakey defence and possibly help us get top 4 which looked impossible. He could get a gig at a decent PL team next year, or end up playing only EFL games for us
I think this is an important point, Gini leaving without us getting anything for him means we need to replace him so whilst I think we have a decent budget this could force us to compromise… I really hope thats not counting on Fabinho as 5th choice though…
Given that we plucked Kabak from relative obscurity and he’d done reasonably well for us. I’d buy him, use him in the “lesser” games and look for a good profit in the future (or he becomes a starting CB). Good all round IMHO.
Hasn’t Davies been injured? A muscle issue maybe? Or maybe Klopp is just trying to protect him a bit for not being able to make our bench. I’m not sure
I really don’t think there is an issue with using Fab or Hendo as emergency CB cover, as long as the other one is in midfield doing the anchor role. It’s when we lose both that there’s a problem.
I think these first and foremost aren’t normal circumstances because of the financial situation. I’d say fans are more afraid of Virgil’s/Matip’s/Gomez’s return (and injuries overall, read through a few posts and it sounds like we’d write off every single player with injuries in their career, that we’re the only cursed club having them, etc.) than the club is (not saying they can’t be or that they don’t make bad judgements and mistakes).
I see us signing a “main” CB signing like Konate and then possibly keep Nat IF we think we need a 5th option there (who knows if he’ll even want to stay), even if it means only until January. That is a much more cheaper option than signing Kabak. I don’t think we can play this FM game of keeping Kabak as a little stock in the background. I see us spreading every little penny we can generate this summer on 3 proper signings and then play with someone like Nat for a short while if we really need it.
Anyway, I think the club is for now working on that main CB signing first and foremost. Get that one done early and be sure about it. And then we’ll possibly make another decision as they monitor the situation with the injured trio over the next weeks and summer.
I wonder if there is a bit of Horsetrading going on with Leipzig? They apparently want Kabak to replace Konate. We’re apparently trying to negotiate with them on the fee for Konate (or rather the payment structure). Maybe we’ve agreed to give them a clear run at Kabak to get the deal we want for Konate?
Still yet to see reliable links over Kabak and Leipzig. They already signed two CB’s last summer and during the season, probably already preparing the ground for the departures of Upamecano and Konate. Josko Gvardiol and Mohamed Simakan for a combined £28m (plus add ons).
You can gather enough money to buy Botman (£18m from not buying Kabak + some extra millions), who is as young as Kabak but both better and taller by foregoing Kabak.
I wonder if there is a bit of Horsetrading going on with Leipzig? They apparently want Kabak to replace Konate. We’re apparently trying to negotiate with them on the fee for Konate (or rather the payment structure). Maybe we’ve agreed to give them a clear run at Kabak to get the deal we want for Konate?
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obviously Mascot now needs to start the welcome thread and the poll for the type of Lean Mbappe will be doing. its great to get these things locked away early, we can now go on and concentrate on the defence.
