Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola faces a serious defensive headache as the new Premier League season approaches, with his centre-back options severely depleted heading into 2026/27.
Virgil van Dijk remains a cornerstone of the Liverpool backline, having missed just 12 games across the last five seasons after recovering from a career-threatening ACL injury sustained in October 2020.
Despite entering the latter stages of his career, the Dutch defender is expected to play a central role under Iraola, but the identity of his partner remains a pressing and unresolved question.
Ibrahima Konaté, who started 36 league games last term, rejected a new contract at Anfield and departed as a free agent at the end of June after six years at the club.
The 27-year-old subsequently joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, following in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s footsteps by swapping Merseyside for the Spanish capital.
Liverpool had already moved to address the situation by agreeing to sign French defender Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes for around £60m, but the 21-year-old missed the final three months of last season with a shoulder injury.
Iraola has confirmed that Jacquet is still “feeling some discomfort” and refused to place a timeframe on his return, casting serious doubt over his availability for the season opener.
Joe Gomez was another option available to the new Liverpool boss, but the Englishman lasted just 10 minutes of the pre-season clash with Sunderland before being forced off with a problem.
With the season opener fast approaching, Liverpool are now believed to be showing strong interest in Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, according to a report by CaughtOffside.
Villa have placed a £60m asking price on the 28-year-old, with Arsenal also reported to be monitoring the England international’s situation ahead of a potential summer move.
It remains unclear whether Villa would sanction his departure following Morgan Rogers’ exit, but Konsa’s statistics from 2025/26 suggest he could be a transformative addition to Iraola’s defensive setup.
The Villa captain achieved a 96% pass completion rate last season in the Premier League, while also averaging 59.4 passes completed per 90 minutes throughout the campaign.
Both figures are comparable to Van Dijk’s own numbers, highlighting Konsa’s impressive ability to play out from the back, which is a key requirement in Iraola’s possession-based system.
Konsa also posted a 67% dribble success rate, regularly stepping into midfield positions to collect and distribute the ball under pressure from opposition forwards.
His 67% ground duel success rate placed him above 87% of all centre-backs in the Premier League last season, a figure that matches Van Dijk’s own returns in the same category.
Spending £60m on a 28-year-old may raise questions about long-term value, but a player of Konsa’s profile could realistically serve Liverpool for another seven seasons if he replicates Van Dijk’s longevity and consistency.
Should he reach those heights at Anfield, he would have every opportunity to add a Premier League title to the Europa League triumph already on his honours list.
Liverpool’s hierarchy will need to act decisively given the injury concerns surrounding Jacquet and Gomez, with Konsa emerging as the most credible available solution to a growing defensive crisis.