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Virgil van Dijk officially became the world most expensive defender in the history of football when he finally sealed a £75m dream move from Southampton to English giants Liverpool in the January transfer window.
The Dutchman also became Liverpool's most expensive player eclipsing the £48 million the Reds paid RB Leipzig to acquire the services of Guinea midfielder Nabby Keita.
He was recently named the Dutch national team skipper by Ronald Koeman and had a dream debut for the Reds, scoring in front of the Kop against their Merseyside rivals Everton in an FA Cup tie.
The arrival of the Dutchman has led to significant improvements in the team's defence with assured performances at the back allowing the midfielders to press high up the opposition half to create more havoc.
However, the Reds need to acquire the services of a top-class centre-back in the summer to form a formidable partnership with van Dijk next season to propel the team to their first English Premier League title since 1990.
Here is a look at 5 centre-backs that Liverpool can look to sign to partner the world's most expensive defender at the heart of their defence next season;
#5 James Tarkowski (Burnley)
Tarkowski has had a fairytale football career from English League One side Oldham Athletic to starring in the English Premier League for Burnley. Having been at Burnley for three seasons, Tarkowski has developed into a top-class defender under the guidance of Sean Dyche.
Tasked with replacing Michael Keane who joined Everton in the summer, James has exceeded expectations with assured performances at the heart of the Clarets' defence helping them keep 10 clean sheets in all competitions this season. Tarkowski averages 11 defensive actions per game with 35% tackle rate, 35 interceptions, 177 clearances and 37 blocks.
His outstanding performance this season alongside Ben Mee has seen him surpass his time all-time league appearances in both Championship and Premier League appearances for Burnley (23) as he has made 24 league appearances this season.
His marvellous performances at Turf Moor this season earned him an England call-up where he made his debut for the Three Lions in a 1-1 friendly match draw against Italy. He is in contention for a place in Gareth Southgate's 23-man World cup squad.
His exploits have been rewarded with a new deal till 2022 and therefore, pricing him away from the Clarets would take a significant amount of money.
#4 Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan)
Milan Skriniar has developed into one the most coveted central defenders in Europe since joining Inter Milan on a reported €20 million fees from Sampdoria in the summer. His impressive performance at the heart of Inter Milan defence has seen him being linked with moves away from the San Siro to European elite teams like Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The Slovakian has been part of an impressive Inter Milan defence that has conceded only 22 goals in 33 Serie-A matches - this being the second best defence in the division behind leaders Juventus who have conceded only 19 goals.
Skriniar has shown maturity beyond his age averaging 7 defensive actions per game, winning 50% aerial duels and 41% tackles. The youngster's rating shows that he has been the best Inter Milan player this season averaging an astonishing 91% passing accuracy and chipping in with 4 goals in the process.
At 23 years, Skriniar glory days are still ahead of him and could run the show at Anfield for the next decade.
#3 Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
Kalidou Koulibaly has developed into a world-class defender since linking up with Napoli in 2014 from Belgian Pro League side Racing Genk for a fee around £6.5 million. His assured performance and no-nonsense defending at the heart of Napoli defence has seen him being linked with moves away from the Partenopei to European elite clubs.
The Senegalese defender has formed a formidable partnership alongside Spanish veteran defender Raul Albiol for Napoli this season, conceding only 26 goals in 35 league matches. Koulibaly has been an important member of Maurizio Sarri Napoli side that has been challenging for a Scudetto title this season, featuring 33 times for the Naples side as they sit second in the table four points off leaders Juventus.
Koulibaly's stats this season clearly show how vital he could be to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side as he averages an astonishing 91% passing accuracy per game, averaging 5 defensive actions and has won further 49% aerial duels with 48% tackle success rate for Napoli this season.
Stats don't lie, and they indicate Koulibaly has developed into one of the top centre-backs in Europe and has top qualities to succeed at Anfield.
#2 Toby Alderweirald (Tottenham Hotspur)
Toby Alderweirald has developed into one of the finest defenders in the Premier League since joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 from Atletico Madrid after spending a season-long loan at English Premier League side Southampton.
The Belgian defender became an instant hit for the Lilywhites and booked a spot in the PFA team of the year in the 2015-16 season in addition to being Spurs player of the season. Alderweirald has gone to make 111 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur in his three seasons at the London side.
However, this season the Belgian has been marred by injuries making only 21 appearances in all competitions for the Spurs. Alderweirald's contract will expire in the summer of 2020 and the Belgian can become a cheap acquisition for the Reds even though they would face fierce competition from other top Premier League clubs.
With 4-years Premier League experience and Champions League experience, Toby can make an instant impact for Liverpool alongside the world most expensive defender Virgil van Dijk.
#1 Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid)
Lucas Hernandez is a promising young defender who could develop to be the best central defender in the world alongside Virgil and be at the heart of Liverpool defence for decades. Klopp has a track record of giving opportunities to young players and Lucas can join the list of youngsters to develop under the German gaffer.
At only 19 years, the young French defender has amassed an astonishing 44 appearances in all competitions for Atletico Madrid this season with 24 appearances in La Liga. His impressive performance for Diego Simeone's side this season saw him win his cap for France and made his debut for Les Blues in a friendly match against Colombia.
Lucas has averaged 5 defensive actions per game in La Liga for Atletico Madrid this season, winning an impressive 56% of his aerial duels with 49% tackle success rate. The youngster still has a lot to learn and has already shown his magnificent defending qualities and will only get better.
A move to Liverpool can take his game to a whole new level and dominate Premier League for years.
