Sven Botman is do not a transfer target for Liverpool despite reports, according to journalist James Pearce.
Liverpool’s famous injury crisis at center-back has left Jurgen Klopp to rely on midfielder Fabinho and inexperienced academy products Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams for much of this season.
As a result, there has been a lot of talk about which defenders Liverpool could / should turn to now that the January window is open.
A die a lot the names touted have been Sven Botman of Lille. The 20-year-old Dutch starlet has impressed in Ligue 1 this season, having joined Ajax this summer, and has also been linked with Manchester United.
While there have been various reports of Liverpool’s supposed interest and even a comment from Botman’s defensive partner and former Southampton mainstay Jose Fonte, it seems like talking about an impending move is hitting the gun.
Athletic’s James Pearce says there has been “no discussion of a deal” with Liverpool “not considering” the transfer.
No deal talks for Sven Botman. Liverpool have no plans to move for him. Looks like someone is trying to drive up the price / interest of the Lille defender. #LFC
– James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) January 3, 2021
Instead, Pearce suggested on Twitter recent ties may simply be the result of those trying to create interest in the young defender – a not uncommon practice in the world of agents and transfer rumors.
Klopp himself has been coy about the need for reinforcements in January to defend Liverpool’s Premier League title.
Commenting on the possibility of signing a new defender, Klopp said he was not sure.
“We obviously have solutions in the team, but we’ve always struggled with injuries,” he said.
“We have solutions with the team but if we can do something in the window I don’t know. It is a very difficult transfer window as you can imagine. Not all clubs have real money. Doing something doesn’t make sense. Doing the right thing makes sense. So far we’ve really enjoyed what we’ve done.
“I really can’t say anything about [the financial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak]but you can imagine six months ago we talked about how difficult all the football clubs are and thank God we were able to keep going, and that helped all the clubs as well.
“But it’s still not the time when you [throw money around], at least not for us. I don’t know exactly how it is at other clubs, but we have to be very careful and very serious, and so I don’t know what we can and what we cannot do. “
90 mins previously reported that Liverpool have a shortlist of center-back options, including Dayot Upamecano and Ozan Kabak, although the club may wait until summer before making a move.
