Arne Slot sat and beamed at the reporters in front of him. The mood had shifted considerably from the pre-match press conference only one week before, when Liverpool prepared for the visit of Aston Villa, having lost four Premier League matches in a row.

Now, the Reds have established the foundation of a revival, having beaten off the Villans and then produced a resounding display to sink Real Madrid in the Champions League. The 1-0 win could have been heftier, save for the many saves of Thibaut Courtois between the sticks.

Liverpool looked like themselves, and we haven’t been able to say that all too often this term. Slicker in attack, far more robust and steely in midfield, whilst the defence kept the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe at bay.

Some, such as Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, still feel improvements are needed in defence, and it might be that Liverpool require external reinforcements, having failed in their efforts to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer.

A deal for the England international may yet materialise, but Liverpool have widened their scope.

Liverpool preparing to sign a centre-back

Liverpool have not been at the races defensively this season, shipping far too many goals across the opening months of the campaign. The past few fixtures have indeed rebalanced the equilibrium, but time will tell whether this is a false dawn or a sustained return to form.

Despite summer recruit Giovanni Leoni’s season-ending injury on his debut, the Reds have the resources at the back to achieve their goals this year. However, Ibrahima Konate is out of contract at the end of the term and is being considered by Real Madrid. Virgil van Dijk is here until the end of next season at the least, but the skipper is 34 years old and a replacement will need to be signed.

Guehi was earmarked as the man for the job, but that deal fell through on deadline day after Crystal Palace failed to land a replacement.

Liverpool remain keen, but Guehi, who is a free agent in June, is now being chased by a whole host of top European outfits, and so sporting director Richard Hughes has found an exciting alternative with a wealth of Premier League experience.

And that man is Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa, who, according to Italian outlet L’Interista, is emerging as a candidate for the centre-back vacancy on Merseyside. Inter Milan are also keen on striking a deal.

Rumour has it that the 28-year-old is available for a relatively affordable €35m (about £31m) fee, too. FSG will maintain their pursuit of Guehi, sure, but Konsa could be a fantastic alternative, and perhaps even a better fit.

What Ezri Konsa would offer Liverpool

Guehi is a talented Premier League player. He is composed on the ball and adventurous in the right moments. He picks and chooses, and he gets it right.

But he is rivalled in this by Konsa, who has actually been described as “one of the best CBs in the world” by journalist Joe Mulberry. Villa’s Three Lions star is not quite so outgoing with his passing, but he is as sharp as a tack and always aware of his surroundings.

Indeed, Konsa is one of the strongest defenders in the duel out there. By placing him alongside Van Dijk or Konate or whoever, Slot’s side will only improve, sending a tactical throughline into the midfield and then to the attack.

25/26

9

60%

24/25

34

69%

23/24

35

76%

22/23

38

72%

21/22

29

64%

20/21

36

68%

19/20

25

57%

Guehi is a commanding challenger himself, but the 6 foot talent hasn’t always been the most convincing aerially. As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old only won 54% of his aerial duels in the Premier League last year, albeit having improved in this metric across ten fixtures so far this season.

But Konsa is more convincing in this regard, and partnered alongside a more expansive defender beside him, he might even prove the perfect addition to Slot’s backline. The Dutch coach is all about control, after all, and thus Konsa might hold the key to lasting success.

The Englishman is hardly one-dimensional, though. Konsa is so composed and intelligent on the ball, with Aston Villa writer Ryan McKeown hailing him as a “possession-retaining monster” for Unai Emery’s outfit.

In this, he could excel under Slot’s wing, providing a rhythm from defence and into the centre of the park, keeping things simple while ferrying the ball forward consistently.

Moreover, he is accomplished in a four-man backline, whereas Guehi has principally played in a back-three under Oliver Glasner’s wing at Selhurst Park. Guehi is adaptable, for sure, but might it be that Konsa’s playing style would allow him to sail more smoothly into Slot’s project on Merseyside?

Given that he has played a healthy share of football at right-back, Konsa also boasts versatility that could please Slot. Inverted full-backs are becoming more common in football, and the Villa man’s more pragmatic style suits the role he would be designated to perform. No defender in the Premier League boasts a higher pass completion rate this season than Konsa (94.8%).

Liverpool need to sign a central defender in 2026. This much is clear. However, as we have seen this season, an influx of players from overseas has hampered the fluency that was so effectively strung together last year. Konsa has only gone from strength to strength since joining Villa Park from

He has made 208 appearances in the Premier League, and he is at the top of his game. Guehi would be a credit to Liverpool’s squad, but Konsa might be the better fit, a shrewd signing whose skills would raise the level o those Liverpool players around him.

Slot has just found the new Gini Wijnaldum in "special" Liverpool star

Liverpool produced a show-stopping performance to send Real Madrid packing in the Champions League.

ByAngus Sinclair