Assessing Liverpool’s Potential Centre-Back Options | OneFootball

By Joe Durrans

With Virgil Van Dijk’s future unknown it could be the time that Liverpool start seeking their new centre-back target.

In Arne Slot’s system Van Dijk plays a very important role, not only is he the captain he is also the tempo setter for a lot of their attacks. When the Reds play out the back the Dutchman brings the ball as far as he can before using his incredible vision and range of passing to break the lines of his opposition. It is very rare that you see a centre half that has the quality on the ball of Van Dijk but also the footballing brain that can allow him to be a playmaker from defence. It is safe to say that he has revolutionised the role of a ball-playing centre-half throughout his time at Liverpool.

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The first option Liverpool could look to bring in would be Dean Huijsen of Bournemouth. The 6’4 Spaniard has set the Premier League alight this season despite it being his debut season in the top division. He is a two-footed young defender which presents Liverpool with the versatility that they would be losing with Van Dijk, he is a very quick and athletic defender which makes him incredibly difficult to get past. As a young ball-playing defender, he possesses the dribbling and passing skills of a technical midfielder with an average of 4.33 progressive passes per 90 which sets him apart from the rest of the young defenders breaking onto the senior scene. Once again, he can unpick teams in a very similar way to Van Dijk since his diagonal passes are one of his key attributes as he likes to aim in behind the opposition defence for Semenyo to run on to, which could potentially be a reason for why Bournemouth have been so defensively sound since they have defenders that are extremely calm and composed. He holds a towering presence at only the age of 19 years old, he is in the top 10% for touches in the opposition box among central defenders, which highlights his ability to rise above and make the first contact from set-pieces much like Van Dijk. Not only does the youngster thrive on the ball, but his defensive attributes are also excellent, he is a player who is not afraid to put his body on the line averaging 6.65 clearances and 1.74 blocks per game which ranks him in the 97th and 89th percentiles. Another reason he would work for this Liverpool side is that he likes to be partnered with a bullish and dominant partner like Zabarnyi this is because it allows him to keep his head above water and find his team a way out of defensive scenarios, Konate could definitely be this as he has such a dominant frame which will allow Huijsen to drag the team up the pitch knowing his partner is holding down the fort.

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Next up is Goncalo Inacio, the 6ft 1in defender who has exploded out of the famed Sporting Lisbon academy and has quickly become one of the best defenders in the division. He has already made 122 appearances for the first team which has been accompanied by his 11 goals and eight assists which emphasises his dominance in the air without being the tallest centre half around. His standout season so far came in the 2022/23 season which is no stain on the rest of his time at the club, however, he was simply above and beyond the vast majority of defenders in the goalscoring and creative aspects. The glaringly obvious stats are the 1.98 shot-creating actions he put up per game which placed him in the 98th percentile for defenders, to go with that he also produced 9.04 progressive passes per 90 which had him in the 99th percentile which outlines how important his line-breaking passes can be. So how would he help Liverpool? His front-foot aggressive passing would allow Mac Allister and Gravenberch to move higher up the pitch and be ready to take the ball on the half turn whilst being behind the opposition forward line. Progressive passing is becoming an in-demand part of a defender’s game, with the emphasis on playing out the back becoming more and more present. A crucial attribute of a ball-playing centre half is how well they can drive with the ball, and Inacio is a player who can change a game from defence by putting pressure on the opposition by carrying the ball through the midfield with his powerful dribbling technique. He also offers Liverpool something that they have been lacking in recent years, a natural left-footed centre-back back this would allow them to progress the ball smoothly and to maintain symmetry in defence which makes them harder to press since the team can be drilled much harder. The pace that the Portuguese defender has to offer would allow Liverpool to maintain their highline and commit more players as he would be able to recover in transition.

The next defender is a man that Slot is familiar with from his Feyenoord days, Lutsharel Geertruida. He is slightly different to the others in the sense that he offers cover for right back as well as central defence, he is an athletic, physically dominating defender who is well versed on the ball too. At times for Feyenoord, he played the inverted right back position that is now occupied by Alexander-Arnold which shows his tactical intelligence and understanding of Slot’s system since he can thrive in a technically demanding role whilst being a natural centre back. With the fluidity of Slot’s system, a multi-dimensional defender is invaluable since it would allow the Reds to move into a slightly different shape on the ball which would mean that they can bolster the midfield with another option. Geertruida’s footballing brain allows him to cope under pressure which would mean he could occupy the so-called ‘John Stones role’ which means he steps up with the attack to ensure that the midfield has a strong base to prevent a counterattack. The Dutchman has a brilliant concept of how to angle his body when receiving the ball this means that he is always prepared to deal with any oncoming scenario, whether that be shielding the ball, driving it forward or playing a quick pass he always seems to make the right choice.

The final defender is the young sensation Giorgio Scalvini, he is an elegant and technically excellent defender that is dominant in the air. He possesses an elite level of defensive knowledge and is not phased by pressure in the slightest, he also already plays in a physically demanding, fast-paced Atalanta team so he would be able to Slot straight into this Liverpool team. The famous saying “good defenders tackle but great ones don’t have to” really applies to this man, his positional awareness always has him a step ahead of the attacker, and he is a player who utilises every inch of his 2-metre frame by taking long strides and exaggerated lunges to open up space and cover distance which actually has a very similar look to the way Van Dijk moves. He currently plays in a back three which allows him to dash up and down the line using his pace almost as if he is a second left back which of course will be something he will need to get under control if he is the man to come and replace the legendary Virgil Van Dijk. He is such a capable player on the ball with his powerful driving runs which are like those of Micky Van de Ven. He also is not afraid to pick up the ball in tight areas and play passes around the corners to evade pressure and drive his team forward.