Left-back decision a big one for Liverpool this summer
Published:Liverpool’s apparent lack of a quality left-back has resulted in Kenny Dalglish playing Glen Johnson in the position, but it is guaranteed that someone more familiar in the role will be bought ahead of next season.
Paul Konchesky has been shipped out to Nottingham Forest after flopping in the position, while Dalglish has opted to move Johnson over from the right side than pick Fabio Aurelio.
This has led to no shortage of names being touted as possible predecessors next season, some with prior experience of Premier League football and other more risky foreign acquisitions.
If Dalglish’s main desire is a player who is solid defensively, then Newcastle’s Jose Enrique looks to be the leading candidate.
Enrique has been one of Newcastle’s best performers in their first campaign back in the Premier League, but seems set to move on as his contract expires at the end of the season and there are no signs that he will sign an extension.
Alternatively, they could head to Spain for Osasuna’s Nacho Monreal, who is a no-frills defender very much cut from the same cloth as Alvaro Arbeloa.
If Dalglish wants to mirror Johnson and attack from left-back then the leading candidates appear to be Everton’s Leighton Baines or Fabio Contraeo of Benfica.
Baines would surely jump at the move across Merseyside being a Liverpool fan, but Everton would put a huge price on any such deal.
Contraeo is likely to cost even more than Baines and with a host of European clubs interested who could offer the Portuguese defender Champions League football, it is unlikely that Liverpool would win such a race if they made an offer.
If a bargain is what Liverpool want then they could do worse than Maynor Figueroa, particularly if Wigan are relegated from the Premier League this season.
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