Liverpool eye up their next Martin Skrtel in £39m defender

Liverpool are on the hunt for a new defender in 2024 but whether a fresh face will be welcomed to the fold over the coming weeks is uncertain.

Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with his side’s progress this season but no doubt concerned by the foreboding signs of Manchester City’s resurgence of late – with creative talisman putting on a clinic off the bench to snatch victory at St. James’ Park last time out.

Just two points ahead in the Premier League after 20 matches, Klopp will have a glass-half-full attitude to his team’s endeavours and rightly so, though strengthening the rearguard could make all the difference in the months to come and reports suggest that the Reds have a dynamic star on the radar.

Liverpool transfer targets – defenders

There have been multiple names floating around Anfield as Klopp assesses the feasibility of a winter move for a new centre-back, with Sporting Lisbon duo Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande both targetted.

However, both rising stars would command an exorbitant outlay and for this reason Liverpool could move for Feyenoord star David Hancko, with one Italian journalist, via Paisley Gatres, revealing that alongside Paris Saint-Germain the Reds are considering the player.

Valued at €45m (£39m) by the Dutch Eredivisie champions, Hancko is one of the more rounded defensive prospects on the market but his club will hope to retain his services until the summer.

How David Hancko compares to Martin Skrtel

Liverpool’s requirement for a new central defender stretches back several years now, with Ibrahima Konate the only signing made since Virgil van Dijk’s arrival six years ago, but the situation has now been exacerbated by Joel Matip’s season-ending anterior cruciate injury suffered in December.

The 32-year-old has been a stalwart for the Anfield side since arriving as one of Klopp’s first signings on a free transfer from Schalke in 2016, having now amassed 201 appearances and won the whole under his manager’s guidance.

But he’s out of contract at the end of the campaign and a successor is needed, with Hancko – who has been regarded as a real “talent” by journalist Santi Aouna – offering the skill set to succeed the distinguished veteran.

Scoring four goals and supplying five assists across 50 matches in a mammoth campaign last year, the Slovakia international was crucial to the success in the Dutch top-flight, completing 88% of his passes and winning 75% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Furthermore, he ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across divisions similar to the Eredivisie for assists, shot-creating actions, passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, which clearly places him in an elite bracket of technical quality for one of his positional standing.

With a successful transfer, Klopp could even sign the next version of Martin Skrtel on Merseyside, with the Slovak sensation hailed as a “great player” in the past by former teammate Pepe Reina.

Liverpool completed the £6.5m transfer of Skrtel from Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2008 and he would go on to chalk up 320 displays, scoring 18 goals.

An aggressive and fiery player, the 39-year-old was very much a no-nonsense kind of presence but he did offer immense offensive abilities and Hancko could emulate his compatriot in this regard, with the Feyenoord titan also noted for his tackling skills.

Hancko would be a cheaper alternative to some of the names linked with a move to Liverpool of late, and given his expansive skill set, he might just be the perfect addition to complement and improve the existing ranks.