Liverpool have reportedly agreed a £2 million fee to complete the signing of Ben Davies from EFL Championship side Preston North End on the transfer deadline day.
According to Goal.com’s Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones, Liverpool are set to complete the shock signing of Preston North End defender Ben Davies on the winter transfer deadline day after agreeing a £2 million deal with the EFL Championship outfit.
The 25-year-old has been with Preston North End since 2007, rising through the youth ranks to become a prominent member of the first-team since the 2017/18 campaign. Prior to that, Davies had loan stints away at York City, Tranmere Rovers, Southport, Newport County and Fleetwood Town.
Till date, Davies has made 145 appearances for the Lilywhites, with 19 of those coming in the ongoing campaign. The 25-year-old, however, is in the final six months of his current contract with the club and has no intentions of penning a new deal. This meant he was available for a knockdown price in the January transfer window.
And there had been significant interest in the 25-year-old from reigning Scottish champions Celtic. However, Liverpool have now swooped in for the Englishman and are on the verge of completing a transfer.
As per the report, the Reds have agreed a £2 million fee for Davies, while they will also be sending young defender Sepp van den Berg the other way on loan.
It is no secret that Liverpool are facing a full-blown injury crisis in their defensive department. Long-term injuries to the first-choice centre-back pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez has been a major blow. Add to it, Joel Matip’s unending fitness problems and makeshift centre-back Fabinho’s injury, the Reds have been forced into the market for a new defender.
Indeed, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted last week that the club will look to bring someone in before the transfer window closed. The Premier League champions reportedly made an enquiry for West Ham United outcast Issa Diop while Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi was also mentioned as a possible target.
Liverpool have also been offered the chance to sign Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car, although a move for him could be unlikely as per the report. So, it seems like the Reds will instead be signing Davies from Preston North End. The 25-year-old is expected to complete his medical on Monday with the deal set to be made official imminently.
