Report: Liverpool defender who’s wowed Dalglish and Klopp is now ‘keen’ to leave Anfield | OneFootball

One Liverpool defender is reportedly ‘keen’ to depart Anfield in the final two weeks of the January transfer window.

Arne Slot’s options at the back have been reduced by two season-ending injuries to Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, while fellow defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez have also been sidelined with issues of their own earlier in the campaign.

Transfer links with Marc Guehi had been persistent ever since his failed deadline-day move last summer, but with the England international now at Manchester City, the Reds will need to look elsewhere if they’re to reinforce their deefnsive options this month.

However, a fresh report has higlighted one current Liverpool defender who could viably be leaving the club in the coming days.

Rhys Williams ‘keen’ to leave Liverpool on loan

In the latest edition of The Athletic‘s Transfer DealSheet, which was published on Tuesday morning, Gregg Evans outlined that Rhys Williams – whose contract at Anfield expires in June – is ‘keen to move on loan’ this month.

That follows on from James Pearce’s claim in recent days that the 24-year-old ‘will certainly depart on a permanent basis’ once his current deal ends and could secure a short-term move elsewhere for the remainder of this season.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Williams hasn’t had a look-on at Liverpool since 2020/21 heroics

Even with Liverpool operating with only three senior centre-backs for the majority of this campaign, Williams has been included in just one matchday squad, when he was an unused substitute in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton on the night that Leoni suffered his horrific ACL injury.

That’s a stark indication of where he sits in the pecking order under Slot, who realistically would be more likely to redeploy midfielders like Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo at centre-back than call the 24-year-old in from the cold.

The Preston native will always be fondly remembered among Kopites for stepping up in the Reds’ time of crisis in 2020/21 (along with Nat Phillips), with both Sir Kenny Dalglish and then-manager Jurgen Klopp heaping praise on his performances upon being thrown in at the deep end.

Alas, he hasn’t played competitively for Liverpool’s first team since then, instead being loaned out to five different clubs, and it seems inevitable that he’ll move on for good once his contract expires in the summer.

However, Williams – who turns 25 a fortnight from today – may be understandably eager to secure a loan move in the meantime and put himself in the shop window for a permanent transfer after this season.

If Slot has no intention of using him at Anfield – which clearly seems to be the case – then hopefully the defender can find a club where he’d get to play regularly over the next few months. Whenever the time comes to leave for good, he’ll always have our gratitude for his efforts in the 2020/21 campaign.

You can watch Slot’s full post-Burnley press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: