Jarrel Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen removed what little cover Arne Slot had for this position. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté form a formidable first-choice pairing, but the injury-prone Joe Gomez and scarcely spotted Rhys Williams are the only senior alternatives in Liverpool’s squad.

Arne Slot’s side hope to bring in another centre-back before the window closes and have opened talks with Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace captain, who is now into the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League champions. According to the BBC, Liverpool have now held initial talks with the Eagles with a view to signing the 25-year-old.