Although Jurgen Klopp has work to do before he can turn his Liverpool side into true title contenders, nobody can deny he has made them an exciting side to watch.

The Reds currently sit fourth in the Premier League but have put on goalscoring exhibitions against the likes of Spartak Moscow and Maribor in Europe to show what a potent force they can be.

Summer signing Mohamed Salah already has 20 goals to his name before the turn of the year and when he lines up alongside Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino - not to mention Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from time to time - Liverpool are frightening.

However, one common criticism has been their defence.

Whether it's been the calamitous displays from Dejan Lovren, Albert Moreno's penchant for an error or the lack of pace Ragnar Klavan possesses, it seems their backline always lets them down.

One would think it doesn't take a genius to work out where Liverpool need to improve, but Klopp has failed to do so.

The Reds were desperate to sign Virgil Van Dijk last summer, but after the Saints reported them to the FA for illegally tapping up the Dutchman, they back off in a hurry.

It's believed Liverpool would need some encouragement from the Saints if they were to revive their interest in the centre-back and because of that, according to The Independent, they have turned their attentions to Basel defender Manuel Akanji.

The 22-year-old Swiss international is also wanted by Borussia Dortmund, but it seems as though the Germans want a deal in January and the Swiss side would prefer to move him in the summer, which favours Liverpool.

Basel face off against Manchester City in the knockout stages of the Champions League, giving Liverpool fans a nice opportunity to judge the man for themselves.

He played a starring role in Basel's victory over Manchester United last month and his great pace is thought to be one of his greatest assets - something Liverpool currently lack in the middle.