Liverpool are to prioritise signing a centre-back after inadvertently becoming embroiled in a defensive crisis, according to the Mirror.
Years of neglecting the squad, combined with a fair dose of bad luck, are finally taking their toll, and it’s Jurgen Klopp’s mission to put it right before the Premier League season begins in mid-August.
When the Reds travel to Arsenal on the opening day, they could be without four of their previous centre-backs.
Highly-rated 19-year-old Joe Gomez is out through injury, while Mamadou Sakho is set to miss the start of the campaign, not because of his drugs ban, which has now been overturned, but because of an Achilles problem.
Martin Skrtel has just joined Fenerbahce and Kolo Toure has also left the club.
That leaves Dejan Lovren and new signing Joel Matip, but Liverpool are seriously lacking in depth.
The good news is that former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is open to a move back to England, so he could be the answer to Klopp’s prayers.
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