Liverpool do NOT need to sign Sergio Ramos after signing Ibrahima Konate but I’d love to see it happen nonetheless.
We wrote last week, with Liverpool linked with a move to sign Cristian Romero, that signing another centre-back is unnecessary despite the injury crisis that Jurgen Klopp struggled with at the heart of defence.
Not only will Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and the unparalleled Virgil van Dijk be returning from respective serious injuries but RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate has joined the club and that’s before you consider that Nathaniel Phillips is likely to stay this summer.
Klopp already has five senior centre-backs and so signing Sergio Ramos for free isn’t going to be a priority but I would love to see it happen as it would give Liverpool some interesting options and demonstrate the Reds’ pulling power.
What’s the Ramos context?
So, after his contract ran its course at the Bernabeu, Ramos has decided he wants a new adventure and after 16 years with the La Liga giants, he will be joining a new club this summer as a free agent.
Liverpool typically don’t shop the free-agent market as it can result in a lot of older players bleeding the club dry in their 30s but Ramos is the exception to the rule.
Granted he’s 35 already and would demand huge wages, a centre-back partnership of him and Virgil van Dijk would be legendary.
There are very few defenders out there that can help the Dutchman improve but Ramos is certainly one of them.
He’s an expert in the dark arts and has a resume that cannot be matched by any other defender still playing apart from Dani Alves.
Why should Liverpool consider signing him?
The most obvious reason is that he would be a free signing. Players like Ramos aren’t often available for free and giving him a two-year contract wouldn’t hurt Liverpool’s finances. It would actually give them interesting options in terms of team selection.
If Klopp wants to start the season with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in the starting XI, as we reported in early May, Ramos could even play a role in midfield as he has done for Real Madrid on occasion in the past.
But the most significant role that Ramos could play for Liverpool would be the option of real squad rotation in different tournaments.
We’ve seen what Manchester City can do in the domestic cups with their squad depth and signing the Spaniard would allow the Reds to compete on all four fronts next season.
Liverpool have returned to the top of football by winning the Champions League and the Premier League in back to back seasons but the Anfield outfit has a rich history of winning the FA Cup and the League Cup.
They’re not as prestigious as they once were obviously but it would be great to see them return to the Anfield trophy cabinet.