With Leoni's serious injury and Connate's contract renewal, The Athletic Liverpool reporter James Pearce posted a message talking about the situation of the team's central defenders.
Leoni's injury once again makes people regret that Liverpool failed to sign Crystal Palace captain Guy before the transfer deadline. In addition to Joe Gomez, Liverpool coach Slott believes that midfielder Endo and left-back Robertson can play away central defender when needed. Although Heraffenberg can also retreat from the midfield, this will weaken the team's midfield strength. Williams on the bench is also an option. The Liverpool youth training team was included in the transfer list this summer but failed to leave the team in the end.
As for the idea of trying to sign Guy again in the winter window, it remains to be seen whether Crystal Palace will change their position on the players, and the willingness to sell players in the middle of the season will undoubtedly be affected by the amount of the offer and the team's prospects in European and domestic competitions. For Guy himself, a free transfer next summer may receive a richer signing fee than a winter window transfer, and it also needs to be considered that next summer and the World Cup are also available.
At the same time, ensuring Connaught's continued health is crucial to Liverpool. He has suffered multiple injuries since transferring from Leipzig in July 2021. Under Klopp, Connatter played in the Premier League in the first season only 990 minutes, which rose to 1552 minutes and 1574 minutes in the 2022-23 season and 2023-24 season respectively. But under the new system led by Slot, Conat is even more in the water.
Last season, Connate played 2560 minutes, started 30 games in 38 Premier League games, and suffered no muscle injuries. He missed 6 games only due to knee problems. In addition, Slot also spent a lot of time on the training ground to improve players' passing ability. So far in the new season, Connate has started six consecutive Premier League games and the Champions League. As the leader of the locker room, he also specially helped Ekitic, who had transferred from Frankfurt to adapt to the new environment.
In view of the recent intensive schedule, Connert got a chance to take a turnaround due to the League Cup match against Southampton. When the player talked to reporters about the future in May this year, he expressed dissatisfaction with the media's speculation and reports about his future, saying that he had not made any requests to the club and the discussion was still ongoing. At present, there is still a possibility of reaching a consensus between the two sides. Is Liverpool really willing to lose such a top defender for nothing? Not only is the technology excellent, it also adds durability. And is Connate really ready to leave Liverpool and a head coach who helped him improve and is loved by fans? Both sides need to think carefully about these issues.