Here we go, Liverpool enter fresh talks to sign amazing defender

Liverpool have entered talks to sign an amazing defender.

This is starting to become a bit of an embarrassing window for Richard Hughes and we are teetering on a territory where Andoni Iraola is being set-up to fail.

We all knew the squad the Spaniard inherited at Anfield wasn’t great but we also knew that the summer would give Hughes an opportunity to fix that for his former and now current colleague.

What has transpired has been gob smacking to say the least. Liverpool have seemingly spent the entire window trying to pursue a move for Bradley Barcola and Yan Diomande – the latter has rejected them and the former PSG are holding out for a big fee so bartering is continuing with the Reds.

All the while, though, Hughes has ignored the glaring issues elsewhere within the current squad. Liverpool are just over two weeks away from their first game of the season in the Premier League, and their depth is looking very thin.

Defence is one of the biggest weakspots. Right now Jeremy Jacquet and Joe Gomez are both nursing an injury. Giovanni Leoni is still coming back from the serious ACL injury he suffered last season. Conor Bradley is also out injured for at least a couple of months.

So, it’s just Virgil van Dijk, who is actually available from Liverpool’s current senior options. Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who has played most of the pre-season games could be a contender to start alongside him.

However, he doesn’t have the work-permit requirements to stay at Liverpool next season so he will actually have to be sent out on loan.

That leaves just Mor Talla Ndiaye and Luke Chambers, both of whom are more confided on the left-side of the defence.

Sure, Jacquet might be back soon and Gomez is only a few weeks away. Leoni will also be back in training. However, the reality is that Liverpool cannot rely on this depth going into the season.

Gomez is very injury prone. He should be discounted as an option to begin with. Which then leaves Liverpool with just three centre-back options, Jacquet, Leoni, and Van Dijk. The former two have not played a single minute in the Premier League and both of them are coming back from injuries.

On top of that you have a Bradley at right-back who has missed 20+ games due to injury in all three of his campaigns for Liverpool’s first-team.

So, Liverpool probably need a right-back in all fairness as well because Jeremie Frimpong cannot be trusted in that role.

Well who could they go for though?

At this late on in the window Liverpool are going to have to scramble for options. The reality is that the club is probably 3-4 signings away from being able to compete for the top four.

Hughes is not going to get all of those deals done in time. There’s just no way.

But at least he is working towards getting something done.

That is if DaveOCKOP’s report is to be believed. The reliable Liverpool fansite claims that Liverpool have held fresh talks to sign Paris Saint Germain defender Ilya Zabarnyi, who has previously worked with Iraola at Bournemouth and who Hughes previously signed for the Spaniard in his sporting director role with the Cherries.

Zabarnyi is pretty much an ideal option for Liverpool. He’s an amazing defender, who has proven himself in the Premier League and has now won the Champions League with Paris Saint Germain.

He’s not the French side’s first-choice, which is why he is available and it’s an opportunity Liverpool should grab with both hands. Zabarnyi would immediately elevate Iraola’s defensive depth.