Liverpool 'identify £13m left-back' who starred at Olympics to replace Andy Robertson

Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up Julio Soler as a potential successor to Andy Robertson. Arne Slot considers the Argentine a viable option to be Liverpool’s next long-term left-back.

Robertson has been instrumental in Liverpool’s success over the past six years, but his frequent injuries have become a concern. Last season saw him miss 26 matches for both club and country, including a recent setback during Euro 2024.

This has resulted in him being absent from all three of matches during the Merseyside club’s pre-season tour of the USA. Kostas Tsimikas, who arrived at Anfield four years ago, has been serving as Robertson’s understudy at left-back.

However, Tsimikas himself has had injury issues and it has been suggested he could soon move on in search of guaranteed minutes elsewhere. This has prompted Slot and co. to start looking for another alternative, it has been claimed.

The Sun reports that Liverpool have set their sights on Argentine starlet Soler, who recently played at the Olympic Games in Paris. Despite Argentina’s quarter-final exit at the hands of France, Soler managed to make four appearances and impressed.

Liverpool have reportedly already reached out to his club Lanus over the 19-yer-old talent. Although they face competition from several top clubs, Soler is seen as an ideal fit for Slot’s team.

Should Liverpool successfully secure Soler, Robertson would still remain the first-choice left-back. However, the long-term plan would be for the Argentine to eventually take over the role.

It is understood that Lanus would be open to a deal around the £13 million mark for the teenager which is relative pocket change for Liverpool and makes a deal doable.

With Robertson poised for an imminent return following the tour, Slot has signalled an urgency for defensive reinforcements. Fresh from his teams triumph over Manchester United on Saturday, the manager voiced concerns over defensive laxity.

“We are very happy with the result, we scored some really nice goals,” he said. “But I don’t think we had enough control over the game because United were threatening us more than a few times.

“It’s a 3-0 win but the score could have been different tonight as well. Of course the results, that’s where everybody is looking at. But players stayed fit and they are able to perform in the way we want, so [a] high-intensity game.

“We saw some great goals during this tour, some great build-up situations and I see them working really, really hard not to concede.

“Like I said, today I think we gave away too many chances, United deserved more than a 3-0 loss. But it’s also our quality that we do score our own chances. We need to work hard in the upcoming two weeks to be ready for Ipswich.”