Liverpool advised to sign ‘best central defender this season’ who is similar to Van Dijk

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Liverpool have been told that they must replace Virgil van Dijk this January transfer window with the ideal defender, who is almost like him in every way. Jurgen Klopp has already insisted that the Reds are not looking for short-term solutions this month.

Liverpool have been advised to sign Jan Vestergaard to replace Van Dijk, who is out for the season.

The Dutchman is currently sidelined for the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Everton in October.

With Joe Gomez and Joel Matip also out, the January transfer window posed a potential solution but Klopp has insisted they are not looking for short-term fixes.

However, ex-Arsenal star Martin Keown has told the German to rethink that position with one Southampton man piquing his interest.

“I was looking at Vestergaard playing for Southampton, and I will say this on record, I have not seen a better central defender this season,” Keown said on talkSPORT.

“I looked at his contract situation, I’m not trying to cause a problem for Southampton, and I thought that maybe that would be a player that Jurgen Klopp would go after.

“He has been brilliant this season. He is injured at the moment. But it doesn’t appear as if Jurgen is going to do that.

“He’s got youngsters there, Phillips, Rhys Williams, at the moment he’s playing two midfield players in that position which will take away from the confidence of those young men as well so it’s not an easy solution for him at the moment.”

Vestergaard has had a fine season with Southampton as they enjoy a fine campaign under Ralph Hassenhuttl and one attribute has impressed Keown the most.

“It’s his passing. It reminds me of Van Dijk,” he added.

“I call it a stationary platform. When you don’t run with the ball you stop and when you look at those two, the way the ping balls, the way he threads things into midfield, the challenges, he’s a big man.

“Of course Southampton are not going to let him go but it’s really a testament to the work that’s been done at Southampton, how much they’re catching the eye at the moment.

“They were quite brilliant in that victory over Liverpool you have to say.”

Klopp has no plans to bring in a defender this transfer window, saying: “I cannot say definitely we will not bring one in but it is just not likely because of the situation in the world.

“If the world would be in a normal place, everything would be fine: we won the league, won the Champions League, the club is in the best possible situation and then you have three senior centre-halves injured, is that a situation when you would usually do something?

“Yes, definitely, but we are not in that situation. I don’t know if something will happen or not.

“You maybe could do something but it would be a short-term solution and we don’t have that short-term solution and that is not right because it doesn’t help.”

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