With Glen Johnson returning from injury, Liverpool will now have a proper right back to come in and play in the new 3-5-2 formation that manager Brendan Rodgers is using. In the absence of Johnson, Jordan Henderson was filling in on the right, he did a decent job there but it was not the most natural for him.
Why Henderson had to fill in on the right in Johnson’s absence is because Liverpool did not have a quality right back replacement to come in. There had been suggestions that Andre Wisdom would get a chance to fill in that role but it never happened. Martin Kelly was also a potential candidate but he is just coming back from a long term injury and is not quite ready for regular first team football. Wisdom and Kelly are infact central defenders who have been moulded into right backs by Liverpool. What does all of this show? Liverpool have lack of cover or quality competition for Glen Johnson at right back.
How then is this addressed? Liverpool have to go out and buy a right back and not a right midfielder or centre back who can play right back, but an out-and-out right back. One such player who comes to mind is Barcelona’s Martin Montoya.
The 22-year old right back is highly rated by Barcelona but he has struggled to break ahead of Dani Alves and this lack of regular first team football has resulted in his agent seeking talks with the Spanish club about his players future.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Montoya’s agent said, “For the moment he is under contract with FC Barcelona until the end of the season.
“We have talked but there is no certainty that Martin Montoya would hold down a first-team spot, because right now Daniel Alves closes the door.”
If these contract negotiations stall and Montoya wants to leave Barcelona then Liverpool should do all they can to try capture his signature and bring him to Anfield. Montoya would be the perfect back up and competition to Glen Johnson.
Hopefully Liverpool will have Champions League football next season which means the depth of the current squad has to be deeper and filled with quality. Liverpool can not afford to have the likes of Henderson or Wisdom playing at right back in the Champions League.
