Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table as they secured a dramatic 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp's side were not at their best for much of the clash in London but were able to come away with all three points thanks to Harvey Elliott's stoppage-time goal.
They rode their luck in the first half as VAR had to intervene to overrule a penalty that was awarded to the hosts when Virgil van Dijk brought down Odsonne Edouard, due to a foul by Will Hughes in the build-up.
However, they were not as lucky the second time around as Jarell Quansah kicked through the back of Jean-Philippe Mateta, which caused VAR to send the referee to the monitor in order to award a penalty – which was stuck away by the French forward.
Goals from Mo Salah and Elliott completed the comeback but Klopp will surely be frustrated by the sloppy defensive errors at the back during the match, particularly after Joel Matip suffered a long-term injury blow this month.
The central defender is poised to miss a significant period of time and the German head coach could dip into the transfer market in January to find a replacement.
Latest Liverpool news – Joel Matip and Maxence Lacroix
Matip was substituted with 20 minutes to go of Liverpool's eventual 4-3 win over Fulham earlier this month and it has since been confirmed that the centre-back has ruptured his ACL.
This means that the Cameroon international is due to be out of action for the remainder of the season, which would also mean that he has played his last match for the club unless they decide to offer him a contract extension.
Klopp has suggested that Liverpool should provide him with a new deal in order to facilitate the rest of his recovery and ensure that the defender is not left in the lurch.
In the meantime, The Mirror have reported that the Reds have Wolfsburg central defender Maxence Lacroix on their radar ahead of the January window.
They have an eye on the French battler and the report stated that the club have been looking at long-term options in that position prior to Matip's injury.
The outlet has claimed that it would cost the Merseyside-based team a fee of at least £25m to secure the 23-year-old talent's signature ahead of the second half of the season.
It has also been reported that Liverpool are interested in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi but they face competition from Arsenal and the Eagles are prepared to demand a 'huge fee' for his services.
The Mirror added that Lacroix is a more likely immediate fix for the Reds as they look at who they could bring in next month to make up for the loss of Matip for the rest of the season.
Wolfsburg's star defender could be a dream replacement for the former Schalke man, who has been a reliable performer at the back this season.
Joel Matip's season in numbers
The 32-year-old enforcer has been an important player for Klopp so far this term as he has started nine Premier League matches and featured in ten.
Matip has showcased his quality in and out of possession with his dominant defensive play and ability to progress the ball forward to help his team in attack.
The veteran battler has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions and 5.8 ball recoveries – 1.1 more than van Dijk – per match in the top-flight to go along with a duel success rate of 61%.
This shows that the Reds star, who has not made a single error that has led to a goal or shot for the other team, has been able to get the better of opposition forwards far more often than not thanks to his impressive positioning and strength.
Matip has also made 3.92 progressive passes and 0.92 progressive carries per 90 in the Premier League this season, which ranks him within the top 48% of his positional peers.
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The towering defender, who has completed 88% of his attempted passes in the top-flight, has the ability and willingness to progress the ball through passes and dribbles in order to push his team up the pitch.
This places less of an emphasis on the midfielders needing to drop deep to collect the ball from the centre-backs, which then allows them to work their magic in more dangerous areas of the pitch.
Lacroix could now come in to provide similar qualities at the back if Liverpool are able to snap him up for £25m at the start of next year.
The statistics that show why Lacroix could replace Matip
The Wolfsburg colossus has been in impressive form for the German side and could offer Klopp another centre-back who can make an impact in and out of possession.
He produced solid defensive displays throughout the 2022/23 campaign for his club and has followed that up with superb performances this term.
Appearances
24
Pass accuracy
87%
Clearances
84
Ground duel success rate
56%
Aerial duel success rate
60%
Lacroix has made three tackles and interceptions combined and 5.2 ball recoveries per match across 13 Bundesliga appearances during the 2023/24 campaign so far.
The 23-year-old ace has also won 61% of his ground duels during that period as opposition players have found it difficult to get the better of him on the deck.
Transfermarkt's Tobias Kröger once described the French tank as an "elite" defensive talent but he also has quality in possession to go along with his defending.
Lacroix ranks within the top 15% of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for progressive passes (4.39) per 90 over the last 365 days, as well as being within the top 20% for successful take-ons (0.41) per 90.
These statistics show that the 6 foot 3 whiz, who has completed 87% of his attempted passes in the Bundesliga this season, has the ability to progress his team through the thirds with his passing.
Therefore, Lacroix, who is nine years younger than the injured Liverpool star, could be a dream replacement for Matip as he has the defensive and in-possession qualities to slot straight into his position in the squad.