'Rock solid': Liverpool coach suggests Reds have a brilliant new centre-back pairing coming through the academy

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Despite a clamour from supporters, Liverpool chose not to sign a centre-back for a third straight summer this year.

The Reds have not made a signing in central defence since Ibrahima Konate arrived in 2021.

Since then Joel Matip has left the club, while Virgil van Dijk is now 33. The time is surely coming where Liverpool need to act in the market.

However, it should also be pointed out that in the three years since Konate joined, the Reds have also seen Jarell Quansah break through from the academy.

Quansah saved Liverpool millions and is now comfortably installed as one of Arne Slot’s first-team squad.

And according to U18s coach Barry Lewtas, Liverpool would perhaps now be wise to look to their youth team once again for centre-backs.

Barry Lewtas hails Wellity Lucky and Amara Nallo

Quansah’s emergence from the academy in 2023 was a real surprise. The youngster had been on the radar for a little while but had never truly looked like making the leap to the first-team.

Fast forward a year and Quansah started the season as Arne Slot’s first choice next to Van Dijk and has already earned a full England national team call-up. Things have moved quickly for him.

Now, Liverpool’s need for a centre-back is no less than it was a year ago, perhaps even greater. Having sold Sepp van den Berg to Brentford, 17-year-old Amara Nallo is Slot’s fifth-choice defender.

While that looks like a slightly scary scenario from the outside, Lewtas has suggested that Nallo and his centre-back partner Wellity Lucky are two to watch from the academy.

READ MORE: James Pearce names the academy youngster who was ‘impressing’ against AC Milan U18s

Speaking via the Liverpool ECHO after the Reds’ 0-0 UEFA Youth League draw with AC Milan on Tuesday, Lewtas praised the way Lucky and Nallo defended during the game.

“A clean sheet is massive for them because there’s been a few games this season where there has been a few mistakes and things like that but they were rock solid to be fair to them,” said the coach.

“They blocked, they tackled, they headed everything away and I thought at times they were the moments we were quite good in possession as well and we just couldn’t move up the pitch enough as a team.”

How close are Lucky and Nallo to the first-team?

At times, it can feel a little like these youngsters are a long, long way from featuring for Liverpool.

At various points over recent years at Anfield, that has certainly been the case. Now, however, the pathway is very much there.

For Nallo, he is one injury from potentially being in matchday squads for Liverpool. There’s perhaps a chance that the former West Ham prospect may feature in the squad to play his old side in the Carabao Cup next week.

And while a pathway is opening up for Nallo, Lucky cannot be far behind him, either.

These two are certainly a couple to keep an eye on from the underage sides. If Liverpool remain patient in the market, we could see both rubbing shoulders with the likes of Van Dijk, Konate and Quansah sooner than anticipated.