Liverpool manager Arne Slot revealed that he will be forced to line up with a midfielder next to Virgil van Dijk at centre back for Wednesday’s Champions League showdown with Qarabağ after a selection crisis that will surely inform this summer’s transfer business.
Ibrahima Konaté is still away on compassionate leave after the death of his father while the hip injury which Joe Gomez sustained against Bournemouth is set to sideline him for the visit of the Azerbaijani outfit. Slot was hopeful that the versatile defender would only be out of action for “a relatively short time” yet that doesn’t help him for the league phase finale at Anfield. Liverpool are not yet guaranteed of automatic qualification for the round of 16.
Without Konaté, Gomez or long-term absentee Giovanni Leoni, Slot has been left with a straight choice between two awkward fixes: Wataru Endo or Ryan Gravenberch.
Wataru Endo vs. Ryan Gravenberch
Endo and Gravenberch are wildly different profiles of players. Five inches separate the natural midfielders yet it is the smaller Japan captain who may serve as the more natural fit in the middle.
Slot turned to Endo to replace Gomez against Bournemouth having routinely called upon the steady controller at centre back on multiple occasions last season. The 32-year-old played five times in defence for the reigning Premier League champions in 2025, although that was almost exclusively in cup competitions against modest opposition.
Endo’s supreme positioning has been informed by years of experience in the role—across his entire senior career, the former Stuttgart stalwart has made more appearances at centre back (244) than in defensive midfield (212), per Transfermarkt.
Wataru Endo Record at Centre Back
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 8, 2025 | Carabao Cup semi-final | Tottenham 1–0 Liverpool |
| Jan. 11, 2025 | FA Cup third round | Liverpool 4–0 Accrington |
| March 11, 2025 | Champions League last 16 | Liverpool 0–1 (1–4 pens) PSG |
| Oct. 29, 2025 | Carabao Cup fourth round | Liverpool 0–3 Crystal Palace |
| Dec. 18, 2025 | Carabao Cup quarter-final | Southampton 1–2 Liverpool |
Endo’s most obvious weakness in that defensive position is his height. However, Qarabağ don’t present a particular aerial threat. The Champions League’s surprise package have played most of their football on the ground and are yet to score a single headed goal in the competition. In fact, no club has registered fewer headed shots than Qarabağ’s pitiful five.
Gravenberch’s experience at the back stands in stark contrast to what Endo can boast; the Netherlands international has never started a game in that position for Liverpool. He has, however, been hurriedly shunted into the backline on numerous occasions so that Slot can bring on another forward while chasing a game.
For all the fluency he offers on the ball from those deeper positions, Gravenberch’s emergency positional switch has invariably created more confusion among Liverpool’s defensive ranks rather than the opposition’s frontline.
Liverpool’s Summer Centre Back Targets
Liverpool can scarcely afford to head into next season with the same limited number of centre back options. Konaté’s continued refusal to sign a new contract may very well exacerbate the need for defensive recruits even further should he leave on a free transfer this summer.
Slot’s top centre-back target has already moved to Manchester City. However, there are more options on the table than Marc Guéhi.
Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano could yet find himself at the mercy of free agency. Sport BILD have claimed that the France international has rejected Bayern’s latest contract offer which the club do not intend to improve.
There are several Premier League-based operators that may have caught Liverpool’s eye, with the likes of Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke of Brighton & Hove Albion two proven talents in the division. In the event of a more youthful recruit, the Reds may be tempted by Club Brugge’s highly rated Joel Ordóñez or, devilishly, Jérémy Jacquet.
The French centre back has been widely touted with a move to Chelsea this January, yet the Blues are thought to be unwilling to meet Rennes’ demands of a fee in excess of €60 million (£52.1 million, $71.8 million).
Liverpool have been billed as a rival suitor, although their interest will have to be delayed until the summer. That would certainly suit Rennes, who are already fending off Manchester United’s reported approach for their striker Mohamed Kader Meïté.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arne Slot Laments Big Tactical Conundrum Facing Liverpool.
