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Animesh Pandey

Gossip: Liverpool Join January Scramble for Juventus’ Most Flexible Defender

Liverpool

Liverpool needs a proper full-back by January, and they’re already scouting other European clubs. Although they’re in a respectable fourth place in the 2026-27 League table, team manager Andoni Iraola won’t rest until he wins back the Premier League title for the Reds. However, for that, the club needs to regroup on its defensive lines. This is why they’re looking out for reinforcements. One of the leading names on this list is Juventus player Andrea Cambiaso, who is capable as a full-back as well as a wing-back. If he accepts the offer, Cambiaso could take the place of Konstantinos “Kostas” Tsimikas, who currently plays as a left-back for Liverpool.

As per TEAMtalk, the Reds are monitoring Cambiaso’s performance in Serie A for the 2026-27 season ahead of making a potential move for him. Interestingly, Juventus also has no problem releasing the player ahead of the January transfer window. Their only condition is that any potential bid must be made within the range of €20 million to €30 million if a club is serious about securing Cambiaso. He was bought by the Italian club for a total package of €11.5 million [including add-on bonuses] in July 2022 from Genoa. However, the very next day, he joined Bologna for a year-long loan spell, before eventually returning to Juventus.

But what makes Cambiaso so special that not just Liverpool, but Manchester United and Barcelona are also dead serious about acquiring him during the January transfer window? The Italian player is tactically versatile. He can comfortably switch to any defensive position, be it left-back, right-back, wing-back, or even centre-back. At the same time, he can switch to central midfield if need be. Cambiaso is brilliant at carrying the ball forward and maintaining high passing accuracy in intense pressure situations. He is the go-to guy in terms of chance creation, progressive carries, and delivery into the box. Apart from that, the Italian has vast experience, be it in Serie A, the Champions League, the Europa League, or the Italian national football team. Besides, he’s left-footed, something not every footballer is gifted with.

So what is the problem? Almost nothing, except that the Reds are not the only party interested in the Italian player. Arch-rivals Manchester United, Manchester City, as well as Barcelona, have expressed their interest in Cambiaso. In fact, Barca is ready to provide an offer of €20M–€25M to Juventus by the time the January transfer window opens, well within the range offered by Juventus for the same.

However, Liverpool aren’t the ones to be intimidated by the presence of multiple opponents in the market. The Reds want someone who can ease the load of their defense to a large extent, someone who is flexible enough to play in multiple positions as and when required. Ronald Araujo has performed better than defenders like Milos Kerkez and Kostas Tsimikas. However, Iraola knows that even Araujo would need someone who could help him share the load of maintaining a strong defensive flank. If they manage to convince Cambiaso with a suitable offer, the Reds could get the right combination to win back the Premier League title in the 2026-27 season.

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