Leicester City‘s highly rated left-back Ben Chilwell is the latest young talent to reportedly emerge on Jurgen Klopp‘s transfer radar at Liverpool.
Chilwell is currently on loan at Huddersfield Town, and having established himself as first-choice left-back under new manager David Wagner, is considered one of the most promising young left-backs in England.
His strong performances in the English second tier have seen Liverpool’s interest intensity ahead of the January transfer window.
According to the Telegraph‘s John Percy, this could see Klopp make a £4 million bid next month.
“Klopp and Liverpool’s recruitment team were intending to move for the 19-year-old in the summer but are now ready to step up their interest in January after identifying full-backs as a priority,” Percy writes.
Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are said to have joined the race to sign Chilwell, but Leicester are unlikely to want to sell.
But with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Liverpool will be encouraged to push forward with a move.
Signing a left-back should be a priority for Klopp, with Alberto Moreno his only fit, senior option at this stage.
Brad Smith and the returning Jon Flanagan are available as deputies, but there are question marks over their long-term suitability at this stage.
Chilwell has made seven Championship appearances for Huddersfield so far this season, after joining in mid-November, and the glowing reviews of Wagner, a former youth coach at Borussia Dortmund, have sparked Klopp’s interest.
According to Percy, Klopp “has been told that [Chilwell] would be ready for the first team if a deal was struck.”
A solid defensive full-back with a great left-footed delivery, Chilwell has been scouted by the club throughout December, as Percy revealed the Reds’ interest at the beginning of the month.
This thorough examination has clearly deemed Chilwell a suitable addition.
With Klopp keen to nurture young talent at Liverpool, this could be a shrewd move.
