Liverpool urged to make audacious swoop for impressive Arsenal star to solve 'major issue' for Arne Slot's Reds

While Liverpool have won their last three league games and are up to fourth in the Premier League after going on their worst run of form for decades, they still can be got at defensively. Indeed, captain Virgil van Dijk expressed his concern about his side's frailties when it comes to set-pieces, with the Reds letting in 12 goals from that facet of the game this season. 

He said after Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolves at the weekend: "There have been plenty of games when we have defended them very well. But the fact is we've conceded too many set-piece goals and we don't score enough. It's something we have to improve. I would say at least 75% of the time or even more, it's not even about the first contact. It's the second phase that is the killer. Is it a mental thing? I hope not. If that's in your head then it's an issue. Personally, it's not in my head. We have defended so many set-pieces very well. But we've conceded too many goals like that and it hurts. We have to improve that. Training is the only way to get better at it. It's not been good enough. We all realise that. We have spoken about it. We need to turn it around. That's why we work on it almost every training session."

Head coach Slot is well aware that Liverpool are shipping goals from set-pieces but they are also not scoring from corners, free-kicks, or throw-ins. Despite that, they are still finding a way to win of late.

The Dutchman added: "Unfortunately, we're maybe the only team that hardly ever scores from a set-piece and, even worse, we constantly concede. But then, I think I said two, three or four weeks ago, we have to make sure that when things go against us – it could be a set-piece, it could be other things – we still need to find a way to win. In the last two games, we conceded from a set-piece but we were able to win and that hasn't happened many times this season. That's progress for me, but it's obvious there are more things for us to improve and this is definitely one of them. I think we have been unlucky in multiple situations in our set-pieces. It is 18 games now, and we need to improve."

Timber has been one of Arsenal's best players this season, and even though he has two-and-a-half-years left on his contract, the Premier League leaders are reportedly trying to extend his stay at Emirates Stadium. Despite that, former Reds defender Stephen Warnock thinks the versatile defender would be the perfect option to fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold following his summer move to Real Madrid. It seems he does not think too much of Liverpool's right-back options of Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley. 

He told Aceodds: "When I look at the defence and who Liverpool should sign, personally I think they need a centre back and a right back In the right back position they have Frimpong, Gomez and Bradley. All three are injury-prone and they are not robust enough to play week in week out, and that is something they have to go away from. Liverpool has to look at how reliable their players are to play every single week, and at the moment those players aren’t fit enough for that. That is a major issue for Liverpool at the moment. Liverpool are a better team when they have a proper right back in that position. It balances the team better and allows Szoboszlai to play in the midfield. So, I think signing a right back is equally as important as signing a centre back at the moment. The issue I have with right backs at the moment is that it always seems to be midfield players playing there, the Guardiola style. I think you need a specialist for that right back, which can be difficult to find in January. In an ideal world I would bring in Jurrien Timber, but I don’t think Arsenal would allow that. I think he is the best right back in the league. I think he is brilliant. Someone of that quality who is good in 1v1 situations. Since his ACL injury he has shown his robustness to come back."

Table-topping Arsenal have arguably the toughest fixture going on Tuesday when they take on third-placed Aston Villa, who won the reverse fixture at Villa Park earlier this month and are on an 11-game winning streak. Liverpool, on the other hand, welcome Leeds United to Anfield on 1 January.