According to a recent report from The Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are not interested in a move for defender Domagoj Vida, and won’t be targeting any centre backs this summer. The Croatia international excelled to help his country reach the World Cup final earlier this month and as such has been linked with a move away from Turkish giants Besiktas, with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds one side reportedly keen on the 29-year-old.

However, reports suggest that they won’t go after Vida or indeed any other centre back this summer, which given that Joel Matip is out injured and Dejan Lovren is unlikely to be available for the start of the season, is something of a surprise, and potentially a first mistake of an otherwise faultless Liverpool summer from Klopp.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Reds backline has had a question mark next to it for a while now, with many feeling that their vulnerability is what is preventing a genuine Premier League title challenge.

Virgil van Dijk’s arrival back in January has gone some way to boosting the defensive unit, with a marked improvement seen in the second half of last season, but doubts still remain over the season-long capabilities of messrs Matip and Lovren, both of whom made costly errors over the course of the most recent campaign.

But with Matip suffering a hamstring problem on their pre-season tour, alongside Lovren’s extended break after his World Cup exertions, the Reds look set to be short of centre back options heading into the first few games of the season, which is why Klopp’s decision not to pursue a move for a centre back could be his first mistake of an otherwise excellent summer.

Joe Gomez and Ragnar Klavan appear to be the frontrunners for the spot alongside van Dijk in the heart of Klopp’s defence, yet both men carry doubts regarding their ability in that role - doubts which simply aren’t present regarding Vida.

The 29-year-old was outstanding in helping his country reach their first ever World Cup final in Russia earlier in the summer, and would no doubt add a great deal of quality and depth to Liverpool’s defensive ranks, depth which is lacking given the absence of Matip and Lovren.

And while many won’t be overly concerned given the duo are unlikely to miss too many games at the start of the campaign, it’s worth remembering that Liverpool’s title challenge last season was derailed because they made a sluggish start to the campaign - they cannot afford to let that happen again.

And having completed some excellent business this summer in bringing Fabinho and Alisson, to name but a few, to Anfield in a bid to sustain a title assault, Klopp risks jeopardising that fine work by opting against going after a centre back - it could be his first mistake of an otherwise faultless window.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!