Lacroix was targeted by Klopp as a replacement for Matip in central defense

The door was knocking for Joel Matip and Liverpool when it emerged his injury in last Sunday’s game against Fulham was very serious and tests showed he had suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee.

This effectively means that Matip’s season and probably his career at Anfield is over early (his contract expires in June 2024) and the Reds have no choice but to move in the January transfer window to replace him find.

According to English media, the player Jürgen Klopp is focusing on as the ideal central defense solution is Wolfsburg’s Maxens Lacroix, with the tall 23-year-old center back already able to play at right-back and having the experience, having played 85 Bundesliga games in the last three years for the wolves.

His contract with the German team is valid until the summer of 2025 and, as media on the island report, the deal between the two teams can be concluded for an amount of 35 million euros.

In addition to Lacroix, the name Mark Gwehi is also at the top of Liverpool’s list, although his case is much more difficult, on the one hand because Crystal Palace is demanding an amount of almost 60 million euros and on the other hand because there are many teams that are interested expressed interest in taking over the English national defender.

It is worth noting that the Reds currently only have Van Dijk and Konate available as first-line solutions for the two stopper position, followed by the young Kwansa and Gomez.