Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has reportedly emerged on the radar of Liverpool over a possible move before Monday’s transfer deadline.
According to a report by London Evening Standard, Liverpool have set their sights on Shkodran Mustafi over the possibility of signing him before the January transfer window slams shut. The German international is open to leaving Arsenal this month if he is presented with the right offer.
Mustafi joined Arsenal from Valencia in the summer of 2016 and has since been in and out of the side, and has often come under criticism due to his error-prone nature. Under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta, the 28-year-old briefly enjoyed a resurgent run in the second half of last season.
This term, though, Mustafi has gone on to become a peripheral figure, starting just six games across all competitions. Things have reached a head at Arsenal, with Mustafi now ready to leave the club before the transfer window closes. His situation has alerted Liverpool, who are in the market for a centre-back.
Liverpool’s centre-back crisis has become untenable, with Joel Matip and Fabinho the latest players to be sidelined. Considering that Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are already touted to be unavailable for the remainder of the season due to long-term knee injuries, Jurgen Klopp has no option but to ask for a centre-back signing this month.
Even after Fabinho returns, Liverpool will remain in need of a central defender, seeing as Matip has been troubled by a myriad of injuries in the past 18 months or so, which essentially leaves Klopp with two young centre-backs in Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams as recognised options apart from captain Jordan Henderson, who has been used as a makeshift option, thereby forcing them to look for emergency options.
To that end, the Premier League champions have already been linked with Aaron Long over a short-term loan deal. And now, Mustafi has popped up on Liverpool’s radar as well, with the player himself open to leaving Arsenal if he receives a suitable offer before Monday’s transfer deadline.
The German defender has also attracted interest from several other clubs, most notably Lazio. As for Liverpool’s interest, they are yet to approach Arsenal over a possible move, and it remains to be seen if they step up their efforts to sign Mustafi before the transfer window slams shut.
