Liverpool told to complete transfer before January 3

Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of at least a centre-half this winter in the face of injury crisis ravaging Jurgen Klopp's back-four

Premier League defending champions Liverpool will travel to Saint Mary's Stadium to take on Southampton on Monday night looking to keep their title defence on track after dropping points in successive games against Newcastle and West Brom.

The Reds went into 2021 as table toppers, but not in a good shape in the aspect of squad fatigue.

Massive injury setbacks has seen midfielder Fabinho playing much of the season as a makeshift centre-half alongside Un23 defenders; Rhys Williams and Nathaniel Phillips, replacing Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

But former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has urged Reds transfer chief Michael Edwards to swiftly sign a defender this winter negotiation period, insisting the team's title challenge for the rest  of the season will depend on it.

"The manager has got to pull a rabbit out of a hat," Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo.

"He’s got to get the backing from the owners – we've got to get a centre-half, an experienced one.

“As well as the kids have done and Fabinho has been magnificent, we won’t win the Premier League if we’re depending on the youngsters. We’ll get caught out too many times.

“The sooner the better for me. The first, second or third of January, we have to get a centre-half.

"We've also got the return of Champions League football in a few weeks and Matip could still be out.

"We sold Dejan Lovren and never brought a replacement in but you can’t just bring someone in for the sake of it.

"You have to find someone who fits the bill across the board and can play the Liverpool way and the Jurgen Klopp way. There’s got to be someone out there.

"Teams might hold you to ransom and it’s not a great market in January but Michael Edwards and his recruitment team have been fantastic over the years and they’ve got to come up with another piece of magic now."

Liverpool have been linked with numerous names to fill in the void left by injured defensive stars.

Names stretching from Schalke defender Ozan Kabak to Brighton's Ben White but report have had it that Lille defender Sven  Botman has emerged in pole position to be the Reds first buy.