With the ink barely dry on the potentially important signing of the brilliant young midfielder Marko Grujic, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has moved quickly and decisively to address the paucity of fit centre-backs at the club by completing a loan deal for QPR defender Steven Caulker.
Caulker has been on loan at Southampton since the start of this season and Liverpool’s official website stated today:
Liverpool Football Club have completed the signing of Steven Caulker on loan from Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season.
That the 24-year-old England international (1 cap and 1 goal) only managed 8 games under Ronald Koeman shouldn’t be a cause for undue alarm. Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk have formed a superb partnership this season and made it difficult for the young man to assimilate fully into the team.
But we were surprised when Tottenham let him go and have been championing him for a few years. Liverpool were desperate for another quality defender and, in Caulker, they have a pacy, solid and physically imposing player who passes and heads the ball really well.
Although some Liverpool fans may be concerned about the quality of this loan signing, we think that it represents a smart move, a transfer coup for the club and demonstrates not only Jurgen Klopp’s eye for a player but also his knowledge of European football.
We think that Caulker may well prove to be a more valuable player to Liverpool than Kolo Toure, Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren. The next problem could be holding on to him at the end of the season. As for the player, he must feel like he is unable and unwilling to wake from a superb dream.
Let’s see him in action. Liverpool fans: are you confident that Caulker can do the business?
