James Pearce outlines Liverpool’s stance on defensive recruitment after Robertson and Konate exits

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Empire Of The Kop or go back to LFC Live.

James Pearce has outlined Liverpool’s stance on defensive recruitment for the summer transfer window, following the exits of Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate.Those two first-team stalwarts are leaving Anfield upon the expirty of their contracts this month, with their departures coming at the end of a season in which the Reds’ defence was at times decimated by injuries.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL EMPIRE OF THE KOP APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYHowever, their exits are somewhat offset by the summer arrival of Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, and the return of Kostas Tsimikas from an unhappy loan spell at AS Roma.James Pearce on Liverpool’s defensive plans this summerIn a Liverpool Transfer DealSheet for The Athletic, Pearce addressed the question as to what parts of the squad the Merseyside club will be seeking to address in the marketplace over the next three months.The journalist wrote that right-back is a position ‘that needs addressing’ due to the serious knee injury to Conor Bradley and the worrying fitness record of Jeremie Frimpong.However, the Reds aren’t expected to sign a new left-back this summer despite Robertson’s exit, with Tsimikas ‘set to provide cover’ for first-choice Milos Kerkez.Pearce added that, in terms of centre-back recruitment, ‘club sources currently stress that they have bigger priorities to address’, with Jacquet’s arrival ensuring that there are four senior centre-backs in the squad going into the new season (along with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni).(Photo by Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)Want more Empire of the Kop coverage?

Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustDo Liverpool have enough defensive depth as it stands?Without injuries, Liverpool have two options for every position across the backline, something which isn’t the case in some other parts of the squad, though it would be understandable if Reds fans felt that our defensive options still seem a little sparse if there are no further additions this summer.If the new head coach is prepared to keep Tsimikas at the club after his loan spell in Italy, we should be adequately covered at left-back. In theory that should be the case on the other flank, but neither Bradley nor Frimpong have been the most reliable when it comes to their availability.Four centre-backs would seem to be an ideal number, but Gomez hasn’t played a lot of football in the past year (just 1,385 minutes).

Also, Jacquet and Leoni are unproven at Premier League level, and the latter has yet to return from a serious ACL injury.When considering that the ever-dependable Van Dijk is nearly 35 and about to enter the final year of his contract, it’s easy to make the case that Liverpool need an experienced centre-back addition in their peak years to bridge the gap betwen the elder statesmen and the younger duo.The Reds have other areas of the squad which need addressing this summer, but we’d advise Richard Hughes not to neglect the defence in the upcoming transfer window.