Who would you buy?

Tbh, and being rather blunt about it, we won’t have a problem with the limit on players come January because Virgil isn’t playing again this season. I imagine that the club will unregister him, freeing up space in the PL and CL squad lists. They could do the same with Gomez depending on how bad his prognosis is.

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Konate seems perfect but makes Matip look reliable when it comes to availability. He’d cost big and could be as bad or worse than Matip and Lovren when it comes to injuries.

Fofana unfortunately isn’t leaving so soon.

Romagnoli isn’t a bad shout in my opinion (although not as dominant in the air as I’d like) and I’ve suggested him as an option in the past too.

You’ve also suggested Bastoni before who I’d forgotten in my post but might be a good shout. No idea how much he would cost?

Lovato I know bugger all about sorry but love the name. Will watch out for him.

As to @Euphoria suggestions I like Alaba as a suggestion for a Milner style multifunctional, senior, experienced winner to come in if Milner leaves but think he’d be a disaster at CB for us as he really isn’t great in the air. Gomez is ok in the air, not bad but not great either. But due to our tactics and style of play it comes close to exposing him and is a weakness in his game. CBs who aren’t as good as him in the air are really not going to cope and any one we buy should, in my opinion, be better than him in the air.

Kabak has been linked a lot and he’s not awful in the air, I’m just not 100% convinced.

If we were to go home grown I think the only realistic options would be Tarkowski or Mings. Would prefer Mings out of the two but both would cost more than they are worth. In fact just thinking of how much Villa would charge for Mings makes me shudder and not sure he’d ever be worth it even if he did work out.

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Even Harry Maguire?

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See above :slightly_smiling_face:

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If Gomez is so bad in the air that we have to sign yet another giant along with Matip, Van Dijk, Williams and Phillips just to cover for him, it begs the question as to why we’d carry on with him at all?

I think calling it a ‘disaster waiting to happen’ to have two defenders like Gomez is a bit much, though it’s not ideal. The likes of Lovren and Otamendi prove that aerial ability is not the number 1 attribute defenders who play for us or City. Suggesting mediocre defenders who happen to be tall is probably not the way forward.

Regardless, why bother signing anyone at all? Van Den Berg, Koumetio, Clayton and Quansah are all oversized children, one of them can do the role of token beanpole.

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To be fair I do not think anyone or ARD is saying we need to sign someone just for the sake of being good in air. I believe he has explained it before that being good in air is probably one of the strengths that is important amongst other things because VVD is good in those areas and we are seeking a replacement this season for him.

And of course I think there is also no need to over-emphasise the strong in air quality because I believe the main strength of VVD is the anticipation factor, getting into the right positions and that is the reason why he never had to hurry into a tackle. VVD, despite his greatness, is not a perfect CB. So I do not think we will find a perfect replacement for him too. I guess we know the qualities needed but I guess Klopp will look at what is absolutely vital and what is preferred.

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Vestergaard is the option we’re looking for if it’s a big boy you want. He has been excellent for Southampton this year, followed in Van Dijk’s footsteps and is taller than any of the players listed here so far.

Surprised he hasn’t been mentioned yet.

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Boateng of Bayern München is out of his contract this summer. Perhaps München can be persuaded to sell him in January, we give him a contract for a year and a half since he is 32 years old.

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I’ve said before by the way that height isn’t the only factor that makes someone good in the air. Just for the record like as my point seems to get incorrectly referred to constantly.

We need a CB who has a good success rate at both ground duels and aerial duels. Who is good or at least competent and confident with the ball at his feet. He needs to be reasonably quick and physically tough enough to withstand playing in our league.

That’s my opinion of the blue print required. The fitness and conditioning guys can work on mobility/athleticism. Klopp and Pep can work on tactical instruction and match reading.

It would be beneficial if the player can be a leader/organiser at the back but not a deal breaker as there are others around who do this for us.

This is all only my opinion obviously. But many “good” CBs do not hit all of those considerations so I wouldn’t want to see them be purchased. I also think a CB that may not seem all that impressive that does meet those requirements will look amazing under Klopp. Yet again all just opinion.

Gomez is already here and fantastic at nearly everything Klopp could want his CBs to be good at so there is noway you would let such a talented and still very young player who is passionate about the club go. But it’s dishonest to consider him as anything other than adequate in the air and ignore the fact this is sometimes targeted. Especially when he isn’t partnered by VvD or someone fantastic in the air to compensate.

I don’t believe it makes sense to go out and spend major money (or in Alabas case pay massive wages) for a player brought in to play in CB that has the same issues in their game. It would mean opening us up to a vulnerability when we don’t have to do so.

We will have to wait and see who we target/purchase but my prediction is some will be disappointed/surprised. But it’ll all work out.

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Not sure if you’re joking! I guess not in this case.

But nah, he may be really good in a few aspects, but as a package I don’t think he’s good enough. In fact, I think that CB area is where Southampton needs some improvement.

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If we’re talking about Tah and Mings, why not?

Could ask for Bednarek whilst we’re there.

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I’m not in form since this morning. :joy:

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I don’t think we should be going for a stop gap, but rather bringing forward options we have been looking at already. VVD isn’t getting any younger, Matip is injury prone to say the least, and who knows what the future holds for Gomez. We needed a fourth CB at the start of the season, and we need at least one addition asap whatever it costs. Otherwise our season could be a disaster.

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This guy :wink:

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At this stage you’re coming close to trolling.

Mings won’t be worth it and his passing isn’t quite up to scratch but is reasonably quick, physical and good at both ground and aerial duels success rates. He’s the closest to being an acceptable home grown target in my opinion. Don’t know a better home grown option that we could realistically sign.

Tah looking at last full season had nearly 90% passing accuracy over 50% long accuracy. He’s strong, good fitness record, fast, over 70% aerial duel succes rate, nearly 60% ground (bit lower than would be ideal). He’s out of form and favour so wouldn’t be too hard or expensive to bring in. He’s got the raw materials Klopp could turn into a decent CB by working on his tactical instruction, match reading, athleticism and mobility.

Vestergaard is glacial slow in his movements. Like Mings isn’t really good enough on his passing. Is nearly 10% lower ground duel success on Tah (who arguably isn’t good enough at this/only just good enough), can be physically bullied (despite 4cms taller he’s lighter than Tah) and as I said is ridiculously slow.

There, discussed him, happy? Or you just going to ignore my other points about what I think we need from a CB and list another tall CB because he’s tall trying to make fun of me again?

Konsa? Too short I suppose. Tarkowski?

Think they’d both have the same issues as Mings. Not good enough at passing and too expensive for what we would get.

With all due respect you keep saying that people want a ‘fancy’ or ‘flashy’ option like Upamecano who is a disaster waiting to happen and then you list players like Tah, Ajer or the extremely injury prone Zagadou as the right solutions.

Maybe there is a case to be made for players with pace and footballing talent with decent aerial ability as well as the lampposts and beanpoles you desire.

What matters is that we get a good player, whether they’re 1.85m or 1.95m. Height and aerial ability is an important factor, but only one, and not to be chosen at the expense of everything else.

Please actually read my posts. I’ve said numerous times height isn’t the only factor of being good in the air AND that it isn’t the only factor needed.

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Another thing to take into consideration is how well a new cb gets on with Mo.

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