Liverpool given MASSIVE boost in talks to sign England star | OneFootball

Homegrown players count for double when it comes to English clubs, and Liverpool found that out the hard way in the summer when Crystal Palace opted to keep hold of their captain Marc Guehi.

Premier League and Champions League squad quotas have to be met each season, and the Reds are currently on the border. The 26-year-old Englishman would have been a massive boost to the team.

His quality as a centre-half is extremely difficult to match when it comes to English players. He'll be one of the first names on Thomas Tuchel's England team sheet when it comes to the World Cup.

With the prospect of a free transfer in six months holding Liverpool back from a move in January, it's difficult to see how Arne Slot intends to deal with the defensive crisis fuelled by Giovanni Leoni's ACL tear. Although there is one other English star who could be tempted by a move to Merseyside.

Konsa should be on Richard Hughes' radar

In a press conference ahead of Aston Villa's home contest against Young Boys in the Europa League, manager Unai Emery was presented with a direct question about Ezri Konsa's future at the Villains.

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He said: "I don't know when his [Konsa] contract is... 2028? It's 2025. You are his agent? 2028, oof... that's so long [away]."

When the summer comes around, the 28-year-old will be just two years away from his contract expiring, which certainly makes him a plausible recruit. He's far from secure at Villa in that instance.

And while the Reds might not normally look at a player of his age, it's clear that Konsa is a seasoned professional, with seven Premier League seasons under his belt, and Liverpool need experience.

Virgil Van Dijk is getting older, and Ibrahima Konate might not be around next season, if he declines the opportunity to extend his deal with the Reds. As such, beyond Joe Gomez, who is also ageing, and is out of touch with the England national team because of his injury record, it's clear that Richard Hughes will need to bring in someone - who can at least be a stop-gap signing - to keep us afloat.

In Konsa, you're getting a reliable player, who is really quite impressive on his day, having recently broken into the England team. It's plausible that he might partner Guehi when the World Cup arrives.

Liverpool would be bolstering their home-grown quota, and potentially replacing Gomez with a superior player, and the possibility of Guehi also joining would be tantalising. Plus, the suggestion that we might consider Konsa is backed up by recent speculation, which claimed we're interested.

Teams like Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Napoli and RB Leipzig were also linked, meaning he's certainly perceived as hot property in the market. Any delay to him signing a new deal with Villa is thus an opportunity to persuade him of a move away instead.

He might not fit all of Liverpool's needs and wants, but there's plenty to like about him, and the current defensive crisis demands a resolution sooner rather than later. Konsa might be the one.