Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has iterated that he is not interested in bringing in a new left-back to Anfield this summer.
Jurgen Klopp has said that he has no plans to buy a left-back this summer, claiming that Liverpool are comfortable in that position, and he’s happy with the performances of James Milner and Alberto Moreno on the left side of the Reds defence.
Klopp was speaking to journalists in his pre-match press conference ahead of his team’s match against Swansea City when he said: “What I can say is that I didn’t think for a second until now about another left-back.
“We are always looking for players but in this moment we have two left-backs – Milly is one and Alberto Moreno the other. Our situation is this position is really comfortable. Milly is still able to play other positions. He can play in the half space, can play offensive winger and No 8 – that’s good.”
Klopp also appeared to be thankful for having Milner and Moreno at his disposal, as he opined on the unavailability of a good left-back in the market, and stated that a reinforcement in that area is not on top of Liverpool’s list of priorities.
He added: “Left full-back is a position where you can never have enough. If you’re looking for one, you won’t find one. If you’re not looking sometimes you get one or two opportunities to have one but it is about having the right one. It’s not at the top of our list of things.”
Prior to the start of the current campaign, Liverpool were touted to be in the market for a left-back after Moreno’s largely underwhelming 2015/16 season. They were heavily linked with FC Koln’s Jonas Hector and were even reported to have agreed a transfer fee for the German, but the move eventually fizzled out.
Names like Jetro Willems of PSV, Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell and Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodriguez were subsequently linked with Liverpool, but the Reds didn’t bring in any left-back in the summer transfer window and chose to continue with Moreno at the start of this season.
However, two matches into the campaign and Moreno didn’t look to have improved his performance levels, which forced Klopp to turn to Milner and convert the veteran English midfielder into a makeshift left-back for the season.
That turned out to be a masterstroke from the Liverpool manager, as Milner has quickly settled in as a full-back for his side. Not only that, he has been one of their most consistent performers. An average of 2.3 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game are testament to how important he is defensively.
The 31-year-old has also contributed in attack, bagging six goals and two assists over the course of the season. All of this has seen Milner being recognised as the second best full-back in Europe, according to a recent study.
Hector and Jordan Amavi are still being linked with a move to Liverpool, but if Klopp’s words are to be believed, the Reds will not be entering the market for a left-back come the summer transfer window.
