Liverpool has glaring transfer need to address as Richard Hughes task must be clear

Jarell Quansah has been the breakout star of Jürgen Klopp's final season at Liverpool. In a campaign in which he has barely put a foot wrong, the 21-year-old has made more than 30 appearances at senior level for the Reds.

Even with Ibrahima Konaté available, Quansah was selected last weekend to play Tottenham. The teamsheet against Aston Villa, should the younger option be starting again, could point towards a change in the pecking order, with only his mistake against Manchester United standing out as a difficult moment during 2023/24.

"We play once a week and we just look at who looks in the best moment and Jarell is one of them," Klopp explained when pressed on his selection during Friday's press conference. "It’s how it is, we don’t play with three center-halves so that means you have to make a decision, and Jarell is training really well and we have a lot of training sessions.

READ MORE: Darwin Núñez lifts lid on Luis Suárez advice amid Liverpool transfer speculation

READ MORE: 'I'll follow every Liverpool game because of Arne Slot as truth of Erik ten Hag comparison clear'

"It doesn’t mean that Ibou or Joe [Gomez] aren’t training well, but Jarell is doing really well and that’s how it is and that’s why I make these kinds of decisions. That’s the best situation I can have, I just look at it and I saw a lot of football in my life so, if you have a chance to make that decision that you can decide on that level who’s a little bit better, then we do it."

But it remains true that Liverpool needs to bring in another defender when the transfer market opens. In fact, that is the primary task that Richard Hughes, the new Reds sporting director, will need to address.

Liverpool still has one major transfer need that stands above the rest this summer: bringing in a center-back. Arguments can be made for adding more quality in midfield and the attack as well, but in the Liverpool defense is where the greatest need lies.

Quansah is still only 21 and Konaté's injury history suggests he can't be over-relied on even when he is the undisputed first-choice pick. Joël Matip is leaving upon the expiry of his contract.

Virgil van Dijk is likely to sign a new contract to keep him at Liverpool beyond the summer of 2025, when his current deal runs out, but even so, the Dutchman is not getting any younger. Ideally, a long-term successor to him can be found in the same signing that can ensure Van Dijk is rotated a little more to prolong his career as much as possible.

The only area of the squad that Klopp leaves behind for Arne Slot that looks lacking in numbers is the defense. While that can change quickly if, for instance, Caoimhín Kelleher pushes to move on, or an offer for someone like Luis Díaz or Darwin Núñez arrives that is simply too big to turn down, but the rest of the team looks relatively balanced.

There is a case to be made for adding more in the midfield department but Stefan Bajčetić is returning from injury and Bobby Clark will hope to step up again. Unless someone leaves, adding another forward would be closer to a bonus than a necessity.

At center-back, though, Liverpool has paid dearly for leaving itself light in the past and cannot repeat that same mistake. Despite Quansah's brilliance and his undoubted potential, adding another similarly talented player in his position is a must.