Liverpool submitted offer to sign £45,000 a week defender – Report

Liverpool reportedly made an offer to sign Turkey defender Caglar Soyuncu during the summer window but he joined La Liga giants Atletico Madrid instead.

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, the 27-year-old was targeted by Liverpool and Newcastle this summer, and both clubs submitted an offer to him.

After Leicester City got relegated, Soyuncu was allowed to leave the club. Atletico chased him down for months and eventually signed him as a free agent.

The Turkish centre-back reportedly earns around £45,000-per-week and meeting his wages wouldn’t have been a big problem for the Reds.

Soyuncu spent five seasons in the Premier League with the Foxes where he made 132 appearances for them in all competitions. With his quality and experience, he would have been a fantastic addition to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

It was expected that Liverpool would sign at least one quality centre-back this summer, but in the end, they failed to land one.

The Anfield giants concentrated their efforts on bolstering the midfield with four players arriving this summer. Ideally, a player like Soyuncu for free would have been brilliant, but it was his decision in the end to move to Spain.

Liverpool do need to make a wholesome change at the back at some point. Joel Matip will be a free agent next summer and he is certain to leave the club.

Joe Gomez, when fit, can be a handy option, but his horrible injury record remains a major worry. The same can be said about Ibrahima Konate who is yet to show his best form for the club.

Virgil van Dijk has a contract at the club until 2025 but the 32-year-old’s game time needs to be managed to ensure he’s available for the biggest games. Put simply, the Reds need more bodies at the back, either in January or next summer.