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Liverpool's defensive contingent this season is anything but settled, with the addition of Dejan Lovren leading to serious questions about who's first-choice, who's expendable, and what's going to happen to my heart if a Daniel Agger/Sebastian Coates double-exit is on the cards. In that order, answers seem to be Lovren and Martin Skrtel, Agger, and complete and utter vaporization.
Lost in the shuffle has been Kolo Toure, who featured regularly last season to mixed effect; early in the season he was very solid, but as the season wore on he made a number of high profile and costly errors. Heading into this season he looks to have, at best, moved to fourth- or fifth-choice, and if rumors out of Turkey are to be believed, he could be moving to Trabzonspor in search of a starting spot.
It would be a sensible enough move for Toure, who will once again find minutes limited to domestic cup competitions unless there's a string of injuries that would see him rise up the depth chart. Coates' emergence during preseason means he would likely be ahead of Toure as long as he doesn't go on loan, leaving the Ivorian with only a handful of appearances here and there. At 33 years old he's at the point where he either needs to be playing regularly or comfortable in a supporting role, and if the latter's not completely true, then a move away is the only option regardless of how convenient his presence might be for Liverpool.
Trabzonspor, who were apparently in for Toure in mid-July in an effort to strengthen their defense, finished fourth last season in the Turkish Super Lig and start the new campaign on August 31 against Erciyesspor.
