Liverpool's Defensive Fault Line: Tomori on the Market
Richard Hughes is heading for the exit at Liverpool, and right now his Anfield chapter is in danger of ending with a whimper rather than a roar.
The sporting director is set to leave at the end of the summer transfer window, with a move to Al-Hilal lined up after just over two years on Merseyside. His spell has been a mixed bag: a record-breaking window last season on one hand, some transfers that plainly misfired on the other.
If there is to be a parting gift, it might just be in the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
Liverpool’s defensive fault line
Last season, Liverpool’s season cracked where it usually looks strongest: at the back.
Injuries piled up. Form deserted key figures. The result was a team that bled points and ended up scrambling over the line to secure Champions League qualification rather than charging into it. The defensive frailty fed into a wider malaise that ultimately cost Arne Slot his job.
Slot’s short reign ended with his sacking, and the club turned to Andoni Iraola. The Spaniard has arrived with a brief to restore intensity and structure, and crucially, the club hierarchy appear to be listening to him.
Targets have reflected glaring needs. Ronald Araujo has been lined up to add authority and presence. Now another long-term name on Liverpool’s radar has suddenly moved into play.
Tomori on the market
Fabrizio Romano reported that Fikayo Tomori has been placed on AC Milan’s exit list, opening a door Liverpool have peered through for some time.
“Fikayo Tomori has been included into AC Milan exit list today; he's available on the market,” Romano wrote, adding that the decision followed talks between head coach Ruben Amorim and chairman Gerry Cardinale.
For Liverpool, the timing feels almost scripted. A long-standing target, a clear need in defence, a sporting director about to walk away. If Hughes wants a defining final act, this is it.
The profile Liverpool need
Tomori, 28, has spent the last few years sharpening his game in Serie A. Even if Milan are now prepared to move him on, there is no suggestion his level has collapsed. The defender remains a robust, mobile centre-back with top-level experience and a strong track record of availability.
Drop him into Iraola’s back line and he brings exactly what Liverpool have been trying to reintroduce: experience, composure, and reliability. Like Araujo, he would stiffen a unit that too often looked stretched and uncertain last season.
There is another layer, and it matters in modern squad building. Tomori counts as homegrown. For a club constantly juggling Champions League and Premier League registration rules, that status is gold. It gives Liverpool more flexibility around future signings, not less.
That homegrown tag will attract others. Several English clubs are expected to circle for precisely that reason. But if Liverpool are serious, they have the stature, the project and the financial muscle to win that race.
Hughes is almost out of the door. One major defensive signing could change how his tenure is remembered – and, more importantly, how ready Liverpool are for what comes next.
