LIVERPOOL SET SIGHTS ON ROMA DEFENDER IBANEZ

Following the season-ending injury sustained by Liverpool captain and defensive marshall Virgil van Dijk, the Reds have not been able to cope well in the defensive department and have been using make-shift options in recent games.


Van Dijk's defensive partner Joe Gomez is also out with injury, leaving Jurgen Klopp's men prone to defensive frailties from the opening stages of the season. The Reds have identified Roma defender Roger Ibanez and have added him to the list of possible transfer candidates when the January transfer window opens for business.
The defender is also wanted by Premier League outfits Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur as they lock horns and remain in the battle to land the defender in the next transfer window.

Both Klopp and Mourinho are big admirers of Ibanez given his aerial skills and top defensive attributes. It is not down to the player to decide whether he will be moving to the Premier League though, as his club would first agree to sanction a sale once his release clause is met.
Brighton and Hove Albion defender Ben White is Liverpool's second choice should they fail to land Ibanez, but the Roma defensive maestro remains their top priority for the January transfer window.
Joe Mario is currently the only senior defender Liverpool can call upon for games but the player is also vulnerable to injuries and can't be trusted that much. Manager Klopp has had to be forced to use midfielder Fabinho in Central defense in some of the Reds recent games as the injury crises keep growing bigger.
Academy graduates Nat Philips and Rhys Williams have also been called up from the reserve teams to join up with the first team as a result of the injury problems surrounding the club. Should Ibanez move to Anfield, he would become a backup player for the Gomez and van Dijk pairing - something that may affect his decision on whether to join them or not.