Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on Aaron Long over a possible emergency short-term loan move before the transfer deadline.
According an exclusive report by Football Insider, Aaron Long has emerged as a possible last-gasp option for Liverpool to bolster their defence before the January transfer window slams shut. The 28-year-old New York Red Bulls centre-back is available for a three-month loan, with the MLS suspended till April.
Aaron Long has spent his entire career in USA, having started his senior club career at FC Tucson in 2012 before becoming a journeyman for the subsequent half-a-decade. It is at New York Red Bulls where the player has finally established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the MLS.
Till date, Long has turned out 135 times for New York Red Bulls, even chipping in with 9 goals and 2 assists. The 28-year-old has even been a regular for the USMNT in recent years and has even had the honour of donning the captain’s armband for his national side. Long has now popped up on the radar of Liverpool.
Liverpool’s defensive woes have become well documented over the past few months, and the crisis has deepened further this week. While Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were already unavailable due to potentially season-ending knee injuries, Jurgen Klopp has now lost the services of Joel Matip, with Fabinho, who has been superb as a makeshift centre-back, also struggling with fitness issues.
The Liverpool manager has now been left with youngsters Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams as the only recognised centre-backs at his disposal, with captain Jordan Henderson set to be used in a makeshift capacity for the foreseeable future as well. As a result, it has become clear that Liverpool need to delve into the market for an emergency signing, with Long emerging as a possible option.
With the MLS season suspended till April at the earliest, players are looking for temporary homes in order to get some much-needed game-time. To that end, New York Red Bulls have made Long available for a short-term deal, with Liverpool not getting an option to buy.
This late in the transfer window, there will hardly be any worthwhile options available for a transfer which is why, a move for someone like Long would be a step in the right direction. Liverpool can then turn their attention towards one of their top targets in the summer, with Ibrahima Konate one of the players considered.
