Since Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez went down with long-term injuries, everyone has been waiting for Liverpool to sign a new centre-back. The duo of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at the back has eased the pressure on Jurgen Klopp.
However, continued fitness issues experienced by Joel Matip and the inexperience of both Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips has led to the club still being linked to a new defender.
This past week, shock links were made with New York Red Bulls centre-back Aaron Long, a player that many clubs are trying to sign.
Long is a late bloomer in terms of football development. After signing for Portland Timbers in 2014 following Major League Soccer’s yearly amateur player draft, Long was released by the club after just half a season.
He played the 2015 campaign with Seattle Sounders II, the development squad of the MLS club. He made 27 appearances for Seattle Sounders II in the USL Championship (an American soccer lower league).
His play earned him a trial with New York Red Bulls in 2016 which led to a contract with the club’s Red Bulls II development squad. After another season in the lower leagues once more, Long moved up to the MLS Red Bulls team and hasn’t looked back.
Since 2017, Long has made 135 appearances for the Red Bulls and is a regular for the US men’s national team. While links between
Long and Liverpool appeared last week, a loan to the Anfielders is in motion and coming together quickly. In fact, by the time you read this, Long may be a Red.
Long’s agent was in negotiations with Liverpool over the weekend. A loan would enable Liverpool to cover Matip, Van Dijk, and Gomez, who are all three injured currently. The big question is whether or not Long can step up to the Premier League level.
The 28-year-old has never played club football outside of the US. Klopp has two players already at the club – Phillps and Williams – who now have combined experience in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Champions League. Would Long offer anything more to the two defenders?
It is no secret that Klopp and the Liverpool transfer committee are big fans of the Red Bull set up. The club have three former Red Bull Salzburg players in the squad currently – Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Naby Keita. The club know what they get from the Red Bull set up.
A move to Liverpool would be a once in a lifetime move for Long. It is a transfer that may never come around again.
Liverpool are linked with West Ham’s Issa Diop and Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi. A loan for Long would be more financially viable for the club.
If Liverpool are serious about signing Kylian Mbappe next offseason, it could be the reason they are putting off spending big bucks on a centre-back this winter.