KLOPP: THERE AREN’T MANY £80M CENTRE BACKS AVAILABLE!

JURGEN KLOPP has pledged to explore every avenue to bring in the defensive cover Liverpool desperately need before the transfer window closes. Liverpool are now without any of their main central defenders as Joel Matip faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging ankle ligaments in Thursday’s 3-1 win at Tottenham. The Cameroon international is wearing a protective boot and is on crutches, having had a scan. Fabinho, the midfielder who has dropped back to provide cover in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, is also on the sidelines with a muscle injury. So midfielder Jordan Henderson and rookie Nat Phillips will line up against West Ham at the London Stadium tomorrow. The situation led to a frenetic day for Liverpool’s recruitment team. The club were linked with, among others, Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi. But the issue facing Klopp is whether they can find a suitable target at the right price. ‘We will try,’ said Klopp. ‘I am not sure there is an £80million centre back available at the moment and a club thinks, “We can get £80m for him, so we will sell him”. ‘I don’t think that’s the case. This calibre of player — the teams would not sell them now. We need to find the right player and one who suits our financial situation. We don’t close our eyes. While we are doing that, we have to find solutions and play football.’ Klopp has been encouraged by the steps Gomez and Van Dijk are making but does not expect either to play again this season.