4 Best Free Agent Defenders Liverpool Can Sign Now After Giovanni Leoni’s ACL Injury

For any football club that spends £414 million in a single transfer window, adding to a squad that had just comfortably won the Premier League, the expectation would be that an injury to a youth player would barely make a dent. But after Liverpool splashed big on revamping their attacking and full-back options over the summer, they left their defensive business until late.

What could have been an 11/10 transfer window was downgraded to a nine or 10 out of 10 when their late pursuit of Marc Guehi ended with Crystal Palace rejecting the final advances at the eleventh hour. Furthermore, a flurry of departures - including Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen - has left Arne Slot’s defensive options thin on the ground.

Giovanni Leoni, just 18, looked ready for Premier League football in his debut during the 2-1 League Cup win over Southampton. But an ACL injury has left the Reds scrambling to see if they can survive until January with only three out-and-out central defenders - two of which are injury prone. Faced with such a sudden crisis, here are four free agents who could provide a stopgap - though the hierarchy may sometimes have to try fitting a square peg in a round hole just to get by.

Four Free Agents Liverpool Could Sign To Replace Leoni

Craig Dawson

In the worst-case scenario, if Liverpool were to suffer multiple injuries among their current options - Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez - they would likely prioritise Premier League experience above all else. Craig Dawson, a warrior at the back for the likes of West Brom and Wolves, fits that bill perfectly.

Now 35, the 6ft 2in Englishman may no longer have the legs to chase every attacker, but his presence on set-pieces and his ability to read the game have rarely been in doubt. With 303 English topflight appearances, he's as reliable as they come.

Joel Matip

It might be a left-field option, given he retired in 2024, but Joel Matip - one of the ultimate cult heroes of the Jurgen Klopp era - has only just turned 34. Many Liverpool supporters online have already tipped him for a shock return, and the truth is he knows how to play alongside all the defenders currently at the club, so the settling-in period would be minimal.

No doubt, if Matip were to return to Anfield, the morale boost alone - for both squad and fanbase - would make any small fee instantly worthwhile. Across 201 appearances, he won both the Premier League and Champions League on Merseyside, and he remains a hugely loved figure.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Earned himself a chant during his time at a heavily fortified Arsenal, still only 26, and scouted by the likes of AC Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion over the summer - it seems bizarre that nobody has taken a chance on Takehiro Tomiyasu yet.

Potential suitors have been put off by the Japanese international’s ongoing battles with calf and knee injuries, with him not expected to be back in contention until the end of October. He also managed just six minutes of action in the 2024/25 campaign, but at a time like this for Liverpool, there’s no reward without a little risk, and they have nothing to lose.

Daniel Amartey

Daniel Amartey joined Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas in July 2023 after leaving Leicester City, where he featured in 106 Premier League appearances. During the 2023/24 season, he made 18 league appearances for the Turkish giants. He also featured in seven Europa Conference League matches, totalling 27 appearances across all competitions for the club.

According to various reports, the only reason he is a free agent now is because of contract disputes. Given the fact the Reds would only sign him for a temporary fix, they needn't dwell too much on his previous attitude issues when dealing with the Besiktas hierarchy.

Current Players Who Could Fill The Void

Liverpool’s hierarchy, for as long as anyone can remember, has never hit the panic button. Realistically, Fenway Sports Group won’t even spare a thought for the free-agent market. But that could leave supporters facing some horrifying reminders of the disastrous 2020/21 season if there are any further injuries in defence.

Back then, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were among those forced into a makeshift backline as emergency signing Ozan Kabak turned out to be one of the worst defenders in Premier League history. Under Arne Slot, Wataru Endo and Milos Kerkez have already had brief stints at centre-back, so they could be options, while Andrew Robertson and Ryan Gravenberch - who, in fairness, sometimes drops that deep anyway - might provide cover.

Elsewhere, Rhys Williams is a forgotten name. He is the only other natural centre-back available, though trust in him seems to have dwindled into near nonexistence since the end of the Klopp era, with a fair few match-goimg fans probably hearing his name for the first time in years after reading this.

Click here to read article