Califiori definitely a centre back that can cover left back. Think Toma was the same.
ofcourse, some of them play 3 at the back.
Regardless, I think a healthy balance of five is needed to compete (young, old etc). Given Endo’s had to step in this year at CB, I think a fifth would be warranted.
Again, I think if the 5th was an emerging kid who doesn’t need to be registered, that’s fine. In any case it’s not as though Endō is some makeshift centre-back. He’s actually played more games at centre-back than any other position:
If we retain him I don’t think we need to go shopping to fill an immediate need. I’d rather look at the longer-term replacement of van Dijk.
Based on the lists you’ve posted, I think you can count Endo, Gravenberch and Robertson as our 5th, 6th and 7th CB options.
Four Centre Backs is fine for a team that plays our system - although I think we do need to replace one of the three non Virgil options.
And that’s before you consider Konate leaving. If he isn’t re-signing, then planning for it by getting someone extra in this season (if the opportunity arises) would be prudent. This would also allow Quansah to go on loan to the likes of Leeds and play 30 games.
5 seems to be about the right number with possibly one youth prospect getting some minutes later too.
VVD , Konate , Quansah , CB , CB , youth prospect
One of the CBs might be Gomez but it’s probably a matter of time before he gets injured. Konate isn’t the fittest as well too and Quansah still has some question marks about him. Not enough to be the 3rd choice CB. Maybe regular football elsewhere will help.
We need some incomings in the CB. That much is clear. One if not two.
I would rather count on Bajcetic as a 5th choice backup option than look at Endo and Gravenberch there. Would help us in the home grown department as well.
It was a quick and dirty - but I’d disagree with adding Graveberch based on the list set out. those listed are primarily defenders.
Anyway, I was just trying to add context to this discussion.
I think Gravenberch did do reasonably well in CB when he had to move in there. But unless we are a man down and out of substitutes, he’s not going to be an option there. A stop gap at best seeing out the match perhaps.
Wasn’t there some funny business with Chelsea and Chalobah last summer? I thought he was set to go to Palace but they cancelled the move because of injuries?
Although Anselmino signed for Chelsea last summer, he stayed on loan until this January (presumably a condition for the transfer). He’s been injured since I think February.
Hause at Aston Villa hasn’t played for two seasons because of injury.
At United, Heaven only just signed in January and is probably viewed as a replacement for either Evans or Lindelof who are both leaving this summer.
Not least because we are limited in options to replace him in midfield. It’s like fans want to see a rerun of the Hendo and Fabinho at CB nightmare… I know we miss Jurgen but that is going a bit too far…
I thought Arne had come out to reject that idea… But I remember it wrong: Arne Slot explains next step for Jarell Quansah in Liverpool development - Liverpool FC
We’re already buying all the midfielders, I guess we might as well SIGN ALL THE CENTREBACKS
And LBs and RBs and Forwards. Show some ambition 
Sigh.
We need 5 CBs. Is that a bit too much ?
Had this discussion with you on this before. Not going to rehash it again.
Honestly, I wouldn’t know. I’m a Liverpool fan not a football fan so whatever I say about other teams is mostly based on vague impressions rather than actual knowledge.
FIFY and applies to many of us (me certainly) on here…
Hey I take time to look for and share primary sources of information on which I base my vague impressions about Liverpool!
For a system with 4 at the back, I agree that 4 CB’s and 8 defenders is ideal.
I talk about main senior, proper defenders options, not the possibility to use a young player on the verge of the first team squad or players from other positions who can fill in and do a job. All that is extra.
Of course, numbers are one thing and it depends on the combination of players you have there.
If it happens that we end a summer transfer window with an extra player, be it 5 CB’s or a versatile “9th” defender, it’s also very doable. Anything more than that is too much.
It’s easy for us to just scream “the schedule is harder, just have more players!”.
Are we the ones who coach them, see them every day, do our best to keep them happy and motivated? No, we’re not.
But you don’t often have the ideal situation as injuries might happen, not enough interest from the market to move players on, etc.
I do expect changes in defence this summer other than the one because of real need (to replace Trent’s departure). I think we will inject more quality and competition.
I thought we would probably sign 2 new defenders, but if we sign 3, it shouldn’t be surprising.
Like in the summer of 2023, I expected 2 new midfielders and we bloody ended up signing 4!
Romano has namechecked Hato again regarding us, not as a move happening, but just our interest.
For sure he is on the list at Chelsea and at Liverpool. Both clubs appreciate the player and have been monitoring him. Now we have to see what they decide to do in terms of conversations and negotiations also, because it’s not an easy one with Ajax.
“He’s a really important player for them, but Chelsea and Liverpool appreciate him. Jorrel Hato is one of the candidates for these two clubs now that they’re expected to miss on their target Dean Huijsen.
Huijsen and Hato are both young centre-backs, and factor in our interest in Yoro before he decided to take a huge pay day at Man Utd shows we still value that. If Hato comes in, I can’t see him replacing Konate, so it’s still one of Gomez or Quansah who leaves IMO.
Interesting.
I have my doubts whether we are really bringing Frimpong and Kerkez to be our full backs in a back 4.
Without being against Kerkez by default or thinking that Hato is a better player, I think stylistically Hato would make possibly more sense if Frimpong was at RB.
You could free Frimpong a bit higher up the pitch (to help Salah in this part of his career) and Hato would tuck inside more in the build up phase, which was often with 3 (something in which Robbo struggled a little bit).
Now… Hato himself.
From what I understood, he’s a LB who can do a job at LCB, and not (so far) a LCB who can do a job at LB? Though the latter is more often in football than the former.
If we are bringing a player who is mostly a LCB, obviously he isn’t going to play a lot of games because he’d be behind Virgil.
It’s why in last years I was more interested to see us having more quality and competition at RCB.
There are different versions of those players who can play LCB and LB.
We’ll get more clues in coming weeks and months and it will paint us a clearer picture what we have in mind (and whether it will actually work).
