According to The Daily Star, Ian McGarry recently revealed on The Transfer Window Podcast that Liverpool decided against signing Kalidou Koulibaly during the summer.
The Napoli centre-back has often been linked with a move to the Premier League and famed for his ability to combine domineering physicality with quality in possession, he’d certainly suit Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy.
But McGarry claims Liverpool were put off by Napoli’s valuation of Koulibaly, believed to be around €60m (£53.89m), when combined with his age - the Senegal international turned 29 in June.
However, the Reds now find themselves in the most catastrophic of injury crises, with first-choice centre-back pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez now possibly out for the remainder of the season.
Until January at the earliest, Klopp will now have to depend on Joel Matip, who is injury-prone himself, and a midfielder in Fabinho, with youngsters Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams deputising.
So, did Liverpool make a mistake in not signing Koulibaly during the summer, or was their decision to give the centre-back a wide berth justified?
GIVEMESPORT writers Jack Saville, Jonathan Gorrie and Christy Malyan answer a simple question: should Liverpool have swooped for Koulibaly?
Jack Saville
"With the benefit of hindsight it would be easy to point the finger at Michael Edwards for failing to bring a new centre-back to the club in the summer.
"There's no doubt that another option should have been brought in to supplement the options available to Klopp, but a move for Koulibaly would have been a rare blunder from Edwards.
"Koulibaly is an elite talent with all the attributes required to become a Premier League star, but at a reported £53.89m he just doesn't align with the club's transfer policy.
"The signings of Diogo Jota, Naby Keita, Alisson and Fabinho underline the Reds' willingness to invest huge sums in the right type of player. What they all have in common is the potential to blossom under Klopp's stewardship, whereas Koulibaly, 29, is already at his peak.
"Brighton's Ben White would have been a better option than Koulibaly, one in keeping with the club's transfer strategy."
Jonathan Gorrie
"Frankly, no.
"It's hard to doubt Koulibaly's quality given his Herculean exploits with Napoli over the last few years but, at 29, he would not represent the best long-term investment.
"Edwards and Klopp have proven they know how to sign players exactly right for Liverpool to maintain the balance of the squad, so the idea of paying what would be big money on a player not even guaranteed a start would be unwise.
"That's not to say he wouldn't be an upgrade on Gomez, but Liverpool already have their lynchpin at the back in van Dijk - they should be looking for a long-term alternative to eventually replace him rather than partner him.
"Someone like Dayot Upamecano may not come cheaply either but obviously represents a much longer-term investment given he is only 22 years of age. Should he arrive, there'd be a method in having him compete with Gomez (injury permitting) and develop alongside van Dijk, eventually taking over his mantle when the time comes."
Christy Malyan
"This one has to go down as a gaffe for me.
"Koulibaly may not offer much resale value at 29 but he is a top-quality centre-back and if the goal-laden start to the new Premier League season tells us anything, it’s that they’re not in great supply across the division right now.
"The Senegalese is an upgrade on Gomez, who showed against West Ham with his wayward header to Pablo Fornals just how fallible he can be, and his ability in possession suits Liverpool’s high line down to the ground.
"Although COVID-19 undoubtedly impacted clubs’ capacity to spend big last summer, £53.89m really isn’t all that much in the grand scheme of things, even when bearing Koulibaliy’s age in mind.
"Liverpool paid more for van Dijk when he was 26 and Allison when he was 25. Yes, Koulibaly is a few years older, but Liverpool would also be acquiring a centre-back at his peak who, presumably, would have been able to come into the team and impact straight away.
"The perceived wisdom is that Liverpool only needed to make squad additions during the summer after winning last season’s title, and Koulibably would likely expect a more significant role in the squad.
"But there’s a strong counter-argument here, which is that the best teams continue to evolve and get better even after lifting silverware. Koulibaly would have allowed Liverpool to do just that, making them an even more feared prospect for the rest of the Premier League."