Liverpool are linked to Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck, as well as Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano, though they may hold more interest in one of the two stars.
Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck is more likely to be a target for Liverpool than Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, Reds expert David Lynch has revealed.
The Merseysiders will return to action on Sunday against Manchester United at Anfield in the Premier League, and they will hope that centre-back Ibrahima Konate is fit to start after he left the French national team last week due to injury.
Konate is out of contract at the end of the season, so the Reds may have to get used to playing without him sooner rather than later, but the club have been linked with both Schlotterbeck and Upamecano in recent days.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch suggested that links to Schlotterbeck were more realistic than those to the Bayern man, saying: "Schlotterbeck makes a lot more sense for Liverpool, and he's the better player as well. Upamecano's got mistakes in him.
"Liverpool might see it as an opportunity to develop him, but there are weaknesses there in Upamecano that would get exposed regularly in the Premier League.
"Schlotterbeck, on the other hand, is someone they definitely do like and have watched. Whether that becomes anything or not, we'll have to have to wait and see. That one might [be more] for the summer rather than January."
Upamecano's deal with Bayern is set to expire in the summer, so perhaps rumours of a move to Anfield have emerged because of the nature of his contract situation rather than genuine interest on behalf of the Reds.
Nico Schlotterbeck assessed: Does Arne Slot want a different style of defender?
Schlotterbeck predominantly plays on the left for Dortmund, and though he is a combative duellist - he has won 71% of his aerial duels in the Bundesliga this season - his best asset is his ability to play out from the back.
There are arguably few centre-backs as capable in possession as the 25-year-old, and given the Reds were reportedly interested in Dean Huijsen this past summer, it appears that Arne Slot is prioritising on-ball ability in his defensive targets.
When asked by Sports Mole if Liverpool are looking for better ball players, Lynch indicated that that was the case, saying: "You can see it in watching Liverpool play this season, that they need a passer in central defence. That wasn't previously the case that you needed two brilliant passers at centre-half.
"They had one in Virgil, and they also had Trent at right-back, who was an unbelievable progressor of the ball. Andy Robertson was quite underrated in that regard, but the point is they didn't necessarily need [two elite passers at centre-back].
"But now they've lost Trent, now that Robertson's not in the team as frequently, there's a real lack of progression from that back four, and it's becoming a big issue. When teams sit on Liverpool and they press high, they're really struggling to find ways around that."
The absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold has placed greater demands on the backline's ball playing, and so far only Virgil van Dijk has excelled in possession, so it is no surprise that the club have been looking to bring in another defender with strong passing ability.
Are Liverpool preparing for life without Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez?
Konate has frequently been linked with a move to Real Madrid, and had Liverpool managed to complete the signing of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi in the summer, they may have already moved the Frenchman out of the starting XI.
Reds centre-back Joe Gomez has also been linked with an exit, and it is difficult to see the Englishman staying at Anfield considering he has reportedly been close to moves away in the past.
Lynch argued that the recent speculation around incomings hint at a future without the likes of Gomez and Konate, when he told Sports Mole: "It's clear that if Konate doesn't sign a new contract, they're going to need another centre-half. I still feel confident that Guehi eventually signs.
"The trade-off was going to be that Joe Gomez would leave if Marc Guehi came in, and that will probably still happen down the line - a Joe Gomez departure and Marc Guehi coming to the club.
"Names like Schlotterbeck and Upamecano are more preparation for the possibility of Konate going because they would need another one then. That's how it looks like it's shaping up. Nothing concrete in either yet, but Schlotterbeck is definitely liked. Upamecano, I'm a little bit sceptical about."
Giovanni Leoni and Van Dijk would be the only centre-backs at the club should both Gomez and Konate leave, but their departures would leave room for at least two more additions.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Liverpool's links to both Schlotterbeck and Upamecano
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Lewis Nolan