Liverpool need defensive signings this summer and LFC journalist Neil Jones has named Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven as one name worth watching.
The talented 22-year-old has impressed in his time in the Bundesliga and Jones has mentioned him as someone who could perfectly fit the bill for Jurgen Klopp’s side as he covered a variety of LFC transfer news topics in the first edition of his exclusive CaughtOffside column.
Van de Ven fits the age profile Liverpool tend to go for, and Jones thinks it’s vital that the club doesn’t end up going into the new season without more cover at the back.
The Merseyside giants have also been linked with the likes of Kim Min-jae and Jurrien Timber, but Jones is less convinced by those two as being ideal to slot into Klopp’s system.
“Jurrien Timber is someone who’s been linked recently, though it now looks like Arsenal are working on that deal, while there was also past interest from Manchester United. From the conversations I’ve had, I’ve not been given too much encouragement about him,” Jones said.
“If you look at the centre-backs Liverpool have had, Timber would represent a bit of a change; if you look at the likes of Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool like to have taller, more physical players, but with pace as well. They like to play a high line and so they need that recovery pace and aerial dominance, so I think recruiting someone like Timber would represent a bit of a change of tack.”
He added: “There is a need to sign a defender, though, whether that’s a specialist right-back or someone who can play in two positions – Van Dijk, Matip and Konate don’t have flawless injury records, so it could be a gamble going into the new season without adding one more to that area of the squad.
“There were also links with Kim Min-jae after his superb form at Napoli, but again it’s not quite the impression I was getting due to the age of the player. He’s obviously had this situation with the release clause in his contract, and that’s always going to attract attention, but it now looks like he’s going to Bayern Munich. I think Liverpool would still always prefer a young player, someone more in the Konate mould – someone who’s not necessarily reached their full potential yet, but who’s in their early 20s with their peak still to come, whereas Kim is 26, turning 27 next season.
“Of course, Kim’s a top player, so fans might ask if it’s not worth making an exception from time to time, but Liverpool are quite strict on this, and the only time they’ve really done things differently was with Thiago Alcantara. They obviously saw an opportunity to sign him from Bayern and make a bit of a statement just after they won the league. But we definitely don’t see that too often.
“A name to look out for could be Micky van de Ven at Wolfsburg. He’s 22 years old, tall, physically imposing, left-sided, and someone who looks like having a big future with the Dutch national team. I think he’s someone who’d make a lot more sense for Liverpool than a Kim Min-jae or another more proven name.”