Liverpool’s forgotten man who Jurgen Klopp called ‘exceptional’ can fill the Giovanni Leoni void

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Arne Slot has the perfect short-term candidate to fill the void left by Giovanni Leoni after the defender’s season-ending injury.

Leoni will miss the rest of the season at Anfield after Slot confirmed the £26 million summer signing will face a year on the sidelines after he sustained an ACL injury in the Carabao Cup win against Southampton.

The news comes as a significant blow to the Reds, who now have only three senior central defenders in their first-team squad.

Furthermore, Leoni produced a dominant performance on his debut prior to the injury, outshining the club’s longest-serving player, Joe Gomez.

Slot’s predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, faced far more challenging circumstances during the 2020/21 campaign, and now, one player who helped the German navigate his defensive injury woes this season could be called upon once again.

Rhys Williams can be Arne Slot’s saviour at Liverpool

Rhys Williams featured 19 times for Liverpool across all competitions that year, as he helped Klopp’s side secure Champions League qualification on the final day of the season.

Klopp dubbed Williams “exceptional” for his efforts as he formed an unlikely partnership with Nat Phillips at the heart of central defence.

Virgil van Dijk sustained an ACL injury during the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in October, with Joel Matip and Gomez also enduring significant spells in the treatment room.

Liverpool named 20 different centre-back pairings throughout the season, and despite the club sanctioning panic deals for Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies, Williams proved to be one of the most reliable players that year.

The 24-year-old started the final five Premier League matches and starred in memorable wins over Manchester United, West Brom, and Crystal Palace.

Admittedly, Williams has failed to impress across five loan spells since that season, but considering the defender has stepped up before when the Reds needed him, he is a worthwhile option for Slot to call upon between now and January.

Liverpool plan to sign a Giovanni Leoni replacement in January

As a long-term option, Williams would not be a viable candidate to replace Leoni, but it appears that Slot would only need the defender to remain an option for the next three months.

TBR Football exclusively revealed Liverpool will bid for Marc Guehi in January, despite initial suggestions that the club would wait until his contract expires at the end of the season to return for the England international.

The Crystal Palace captain is not the only name under consideration, but leads the shortlist after his £35m move to Anfield collapsed in the final hours of the summer transfer window.

With Gomez and Ibrahima Konate both having questionable fitness records, it is the best solution to acquire another centre-back when the January window opens, to ensure the club remains competitive on all fronts this season.

But, this does not discredit the fact that Williams has a golden and perhaps final opportunity to impress at Anfield until then.