Liverpool keen on Kalidou Koulibaly transfer to aid Virgil van Dijk comeback

Liverpool are interested in signing Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer transfer window.

It comes as concerns continue over the defence, which has been rocked by a number of injuries this season.

Virgil van Dijk was ruled out for the rest of the campaign early on, which was followed by Joe Gomez suffering a similar problem on international duty.

Joel Matip is the latest to join that injury list which left Liverpool without a senior centre-back before Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies were signed.

But Jurgen Klopp is keen on bringing in a top-class star to bolster his backline and they do not come much better than Koulibaly.

According to BILD, the Senegalese star is being eyed by the German manager while Napoli could be forced into a fire sale this summer due to Covid complications.

Koulibaly would bring in massive amounts of experience and has been one of the best defenders in Europe over the past five years.

The 29-year-old has all the attributes – he is brilliant on the ball, dominant in the air and has considerable pace to be able to play a high line.

Signing the centre-back will also allow Van Dijk the chance to properly recover and not be rushed straight back into the first-team fold.

There is a sense that when the Dutchman is fit, all of Liverpool's problems will be solved.

But sustaining anterior cruciate ligament damage to the knee is one of the worst injuries that a footballer could suffer.

The usual recovery period is a minimum of 12 months, meaning Van Dijk might not be back until October at the earliest.

And then there is the need to get the former Southampton star back up to match fitness, as well as getting used to elite football once again.

At Van Dijk's age, there is a huge concern that he may have lost a few yards of pace and might not be the player he once was.

With the arrival of Koulibaly, the pressure to bring the 29-year-old back will be quelled somewhat, allowing him the time and space needed to make a full recovery.

Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp aiming to emulate Sir Kenny Dalglish to lead Liverpool revival

READ MORE: Savage says Liverpool have suffered with injuries – but Leicester and Newcastle have been hit harder

Source: Read Full Article