With the stability provided by the boss staying in the hot seat at Liverpool despite a mixed bag of results last season the focus can now switch to strengthening the squad in readiness for next season. Brendan Rodgers has been told that Liverpool must improve next season and so the hunt is now on to bring in the personnel that Rodgers believes he needs to do just that.
One of the identified weaknesses of the squad last season was the lack of strength in depth in the right-back position and Liverpool have been monitoring Nathaniel Clyne along with United and Chelsea for some time. A bid of £15m could be enough to land the defender and Liverpool are prepared to go in again with an improved offer say the Mirror after the Saints turned down an initial bid reported by the Daily Star.
Southampton are keen to get Clyne to sign a new contract but the player is yet to do so which has invited strong interest in the England international particularly from Manchester United. Clyne is very much in the sights of Brendan Rodgers as he looks to strengthen his defence and £15million could represent great value.
The Liverpool defensive numbers which are skewed by the concession of nine goals in the final two games show that the team conceded two goals fewer than last season and were at times solid defensively but that was mostly when Mignolet was playing behind three centre-backs.
The 24-year-old Clyne has been with Southampton since joining from Crystal Palace in 2012.
Source: DSG
