Liverpool Transfer Rumour Mill: Reds Monitoring Issa Diop

Tomorrow’s trip to London Stadium to take on West Ham may also double as a scouting trip as Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested in acquiring the services of center-back Issa Diop. The Reds face a massive injury crisis in defense that seems to worsen every day. At the moment, they have lost all four of their preferred center-backs for the short and long term and will likely once again be forced to field captain Jordan Henderson in that makeshift position.

Due to the severity of this defensive crisis, the message inside of the club shifted from not doing any business this month in central defense to possible short-term solutions and now to permanent moves like the one rumored for Diop. The defender has received interest from several Premier League heavy hitters, such as Manchester United and Arsenal, the former who appeared to value Diop at £65m, according to the ECHO.

While Diop will likely start on the bench on Sunday, Liverpool fans will no doubt remember the goal he scored at Anfield last year.

The January transfer window is nearly closed, so if the club wants to do business, they need to act fast. West Ham will know this, so they’ll likely put a high premium on his services.

If Liverpool do not find some kind of solution, temporary or permanent, for their defensive troubles as they fight to stay in the top four, it will be seen as a failure to address a critical situation.