Manager Kenny Dalglish's comments in Monday's Liverpool Daily Post surprised the many fans and pundits operating under the widely held assumption that Dalglish would only have access to more transfer funds through the sales of Liverpool players.
Despite already shelling out over more than $70 million for new players this summer, Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli could still seek to reinforce some key positions, center back being chief among them.
With the aging Jamie Carragher, chronically injured Daniel Agger, and inconsistent Martin Skrtel serving as Liverpool's top three center backs, the Reds could greatly benefit from adding another defender to the mix. If Liverpool wants to continue purchasing proven Premier League talent, then players such as Ryan Shawcross, Gary Cahill and Scott Dann could become real options to head to Anfield before the transfer window slams shut.
At just 23 years old, Shawcross has risen to the status of captain for Tony Pulis' tough-tackling Stoke City. At 6-foot-3, Shawcross is an aerial threat from corners and set-pieces, having scored 15 goals in his career as a Potter. Although Shawcross officially used to be a member of rival Manchester United, two substitute appearances in the 2006 League Cup is hardly enough for him to be labeled a true Red Devil.The young center back has proven himself to be a durable defender, but he does not possess any real technical ability and has shown a penchant for making ill-advised tackles (as Aaron Ramsey can attest). Shawcross would seem to be an affordable option for Liverpool, although he could be an imperfect cog in Dalglish's fluid passing system.
Gary Cahill demonstrated his technical prowess as he buried a curled shot over Queens Park Rangers keeper Paddy Kenny to open the scoring for Bolton Wanderers this past weekend. The 25-year-old English international has developed into one of the outstanding center backs in the Premier League over the past few seasons and would provide an immediate upgrade over Liverpool's current options, aside from a fully fit Daniel Agger. The real hold up to a transfer to Liverpool would be his price. Bolton manager Owen Coyle has fought off interest from Arsenal and oil-rich Manchester City all summer long and one would have to guess that unless a player exchange could be worked out, possibly involving rumored Bolton target David N'Gog, Cahill would also be out of Liverpool's price range.
Moving on to a true Scouser, Birmingham City's Scott Dann, born and raised in Liverpool, could be tempted to join his hometown club. Dann and teammate Roger Johnson formed one of the most reliable defensive pairings in the Premier League for Birmingham, helping the Blues remain in the top flight following their promotion for the 2009-10 season. Dann injured his hamstring in January of 2011 and subsequently missed the remainder of the season, a key factor in Birmingham's subsequent relegation to the Championship for this season. While it would be a stretch to consider Dann amongst the world's elite defenders, he would provide a vitally important element of stability to Liverpool's back line. Dann would come at a reasonable price due to his club's relegation, however Liverpool would have to fight off interest from Arsenal in order to sign the 24-year-old.
