LIVERPOOL are eyeing a January move for Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix after Joel Matip’s season-ending knee injury.
Centre-back Matip, out of contract this summer, now looks unlikely to play for the club again after rupturing his ACL against Fulham last weekend.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp could now fast-forward plans to buy a replacement and has been looking at Frenchman Lacroix along with Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.
Lacroix, 23, has been in the Bundesliga after joining from Sochaux in 2020 and Wolfsburg would want £30million as he only has 18 months left on his deal.
The 6ft 3in defender is one of the fastest players in German football and can also play right-back.
Another target for Klopp is England international Guehi.
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Palace will listen to offers of £50m-plus but they are not interested in him leaving next month.
Klopp will now rely on skipper Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in central defence — with Joe Gomez and rising star Jarell Quansah currently the only back-ups.
The arrival of Lacroix would ease those woes, with the former French youth international capable of playing on both sides of central defence.
He has already kept two cleans sheets for Wolfsburg this season despite their inconsistent Bundesliga form.
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Lacroix also captained the side earlier this season and has one goal from 15 appearances across all competitions.
Klopp previously looked to Germany to recruit Matip on a free transfer from Schalke in 2016.
He has since made 201 appearances for the Reds and won both the Premier League and Champions League with the club.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
