Liverpool have been linked with a move by young Lille defender Sven Botman, and a potential deal could loom on the horizon, after team-mate Jose Fonte all but confirmed the rumors with a cheeky Twitter post.
The 20-year-old only moved to the French side in the summer, leaving Ajax in a deal worth £ 8million. But he has adapted superbly to life in France, with the highest duel success rate in Ligue 1.
And it looks like Liverpool may have shown some interest in signing Botman this winter, amid their own defensive injury crisis. The rumors were enough to entice Botman’s Lille teammate and former Southampton man Fonte to comment on the speculation on Instagram.
Squawka posted a photo of Botman, along with the caption, “[Fonte] could soon lose another central defender to the Premier League ”, to which the Portuguese defender replied:“ Another… Always happy to help.
Fonte played alongside center-back Gabriel last year, before Arsenal signed the Brazilian starlet this summer for around £ 27million after the additions. He was also the center-back partner of Liverpool hero Virgil van Dijk during his days at Southampton.
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[credit to @SambaRole for spotting it] pic.twitter.com/sjJiSKun0X
– LFC transfer room (@LFCTransferRoom) January 1, 2021
The defender’s cheeky message might suggest he’s getting ready to say goodbye to another partner in the winter window.
Liverpool need defensive reinforcements, Van Dijk and Joe Gomez are set to miss the remainder of the season with long-term knee injuries. The Reds subsequently started shipping goals more frequently than last year, with Jurgen Klopp having to look to makeshift center-back Fabinho or academy products to fill in the gaps.
The German coach must be keen to resolve this issue in January, given his side are at the heart of a title battle with Manchester United.
