Liverpool Missed Out On New Left-Back After Klopp Refused To Sanction £10m Deal

The summer transfer window is now closed for another year but it’s not time to look back on those deals that didn’t go through and those that are being lined-up for the future. Today, Jurgen Klopp refused to pay £10m for Ben Chilwell….

Liverpool missed out on the chance to sign highly-rated left-back Ben Chilwell after Jurgen Klopp refused to pay £10m for the Leicester City defender this summer, according to the Mirror.

Klopp was extremely active in the market during the summer transfer window after bringing in six new signings including Loris Karius, Ragnar Klavan, Sadio Mane, Alex Manninger, Joel Matip and Georginio Wijnaldum.

Despite intense pressure from the fans due to the on-going struggles of Alberto Moreno, one position Klopp failed to strengthen was left-back with the Reds failing to land a number of reported targets over the past few months.

Ben Chilwell was heavily linked with a move to Anfield all summer with the Express reporting in July that Klopp was hopeful of wrapping-up an £8m deal for the 19-year-old having already seen a £6m offer rejected by Leicester.

Chilwell has emerged as one of the most highly-rated defenders in English football and is tipped to become a full England international having already represented his country at every youth level so he would have been an excellent signing if Liverpool were able to pull it off.

However, a deal failed to materialise in the end and the Mirror claim it was because Klopp refused to meet the Foxes £10m asking price as he was reluctant to pay what he felt was an inflated fee for the talented teenager.

It’s certainly an admirable approach from the the German coach in a world where transfer fees are spiralling out of control but the problem for Liverpool is they have now failed to solve a troublesome area in their defence.

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Moreno is an accident waiting to happen and it seems Klopp doesn’t see the Spaniard as his first choice left-back as versatile midfielder James Milner has been preferred at the back in recent games.

Chilwell has the potential to become a top class full-back so could have been a long-term solution for the Merseysiders had Klopp sanctioned the proposed £20m deal this summer, but we’ll have to wait and see whether the Reds decide to renew their interest at some point in the future.