Preston North End's Ben Davies during the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Swansea City at Deepdale on September 12, 2020 in Preston, England.
Ben Davies is set to join Liverpool (Picture: CameraSport via Getty)

Liverpool scoured Europe for the best centre-back options to solve their defensive crisis but opted for Preston North End star Ben Davies.

The Reds have been without long-term absentees Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk for the majority of the season and Fabinho and Joel Matip have both struggled with injury problems in recent weeks.

Largely untested squad centre-halves Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams have helped fill in along with midfielder Jordan Henderson but Jurgan Klopp felt a new centre-half was a necessity.

While the likes of Arsenal’s Shkodran Mustafi and West Ham’s Issa Diop were considered by Liverpool chiefs, a £2million deal has been struck to land Davies.

Dozens of centre-backs were evaluated but Davies ticked the most boxes, according to The Athletic.

He was viewed as a great option because of his value, experience and skilset to bolster the squad.

Jordan Hugill of Queens Park Rangers is tackled by Ben Davies of Preston North End during the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers at Deepdale on March 07, 2020 in Preston, England.
Davies has impressed LIverpool chiefs (Picture: Getty Images)

The club received only positive character references for the 25-year-old and he has already made 250 senior appearances.

Entering the final six months of his contract, Davies was available for a very low price and the fact he is homegrown means that Klopp will swerve a tough decision over who to leave out of his revised 25-man Premier League squad.

Davies, who is left-footed, has been on Liverpool’s radar since he established himself in Preston’s team in the 2017-18 season and has previously attracted interest from the Bundesliga.

He also impressed officials at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City after a solid display against them in the EFL Cup last season.

Celtic were set to sign him before Liverpool joined the race.

Once Davies heard Klopp was interested, there was only one destination in his mind.

MORE : Liverpool have made contact over move for West Ham defender Issa Diop

MORE : Wayne Rooney snaps up Manchester United prospect Teden Mengi on loan for Derby County

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Why Liverpool chiefs chose Ben Davies over Shkodran Mustafi and Issa Diop to solve centre-back crisis

Ben Davies is set to join Liverpool (Picture: CameraSport via Getty) Liverpool scoured Europe for the best centre-back options to sol...
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Gilmour could leave on loan before the transfer window shuts on Monday
Gilmour could leave on loan before the transfer window shuts on Monday (Picture: Getty Images)

Billy Gilmour is reportedly in talks over a possible deadline day loan move to Southampton with the Chelsea midfielder eyeing more regular playing time.

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene under previous Blues boss Frank Lampard last season and was enjoying a successful spell in the first team until an untimely knee injury halted his progress.

Gilmour has found starts difficult to come by since his return to action earlier this campaign and has been heavily linked with a January move away from Stamford Bridge.

Gilmour has been left out of both of Tuchel's matchday squads
Gilmour has been left out of both of Tuchel’s matchday squads (Picture: Getty Images)

New boss Thomas Tuchel hasn’t included the midfielder in any of his matchday squads since being appointed as Lampard’s successor earlier this week.

Gilmour missed out completely against Wolves and Burnley, and according to the Daily Mail, he is in negotiations with Southampton regarding a last-minute switch to St Mary’s until the end of the season.

The teenager is looking to boost his chances of landing a spot in Scotland’s Euro 2020 squad this summer and the report states he has already informed the club of his desire to leave on loan before Monday’s deadline.

Lampard was a big admirer of Gilmour during his time at Stamford Bridge, and his successor Tuchel has already talked up the youngster’s ability despite being at the club for less than a week.

‘Of Billy I have a good impression,’ Tuchel said at his first press conference on Thursday.

‘He is a very strategic guy, with a very high level of game understanding, very good in the first contact, very clever in positioning.

‘We will see if he has the physical level to compete in the centre of the field in the most physical league in the world, but he is super quick with his feet, super fast with his decision making, and very good in positioning like I said.’

MORE : Thomas Tuchel sends warning to struggling Chelsea star Kai Havertz

MORE : Paul Merson claims Mauricio Pochettino would have ‘suited Chelsea better’ than Thomas Tuchel

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Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour eyeing deadline day loan move to Southampton

Gilmour could leave on loan before the transfer window shuts on Monday (Picture: Getty Images) Billy Gilmour is reportedly in talks o...
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Queens Park Rangers v Derby County - Sky Bet Championship
Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has plundered his former club for a loan deal (Picture: Getty Images)

Manchester United teenager Teden Mengi has agreed a loan deal with Derby County, with Wayne Rooney snapping up the defender for the rest of the season.

The 18-year-old is very highly rated at Old Trafford and made his senior debut in August last year, coming on against LASK in the Europa League.

However, he is yet to make his Premier League debut and appearances even in the FA Cup and Legaue Cup have not come about, so he is moving on loan to gain first team experience.

Red Devils legend Rooney is in charge at Derby and has used his contacts at his former club to sign the England Under-18s man on a six-month loan, reports the Daily Mail.

The Rams are dealing with a number of outgoings this month amid financial concerns and Mengi is being brought in to plug a gap in the squad.

Morgan Whittaker, George Evans and Kaide Gordon are all set to depart and Rooney needs numbers to make up for those losses.

Manchester United v Southampton: Premier League 2
Teden Mengi is very highly rated at Manchester United (Picture: Getty Images)

Rooney is picking up momentum in his first job in management, with Derby winning their last three Championship games and moving away from the relegation zone.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke in September of Mengi making a move into the first team more regularly, but it hasn’t happened as yet.

‘We always had that in the back of our minds that our academy will provide players and Teden has definitely impressed me. It’s different trusting defenders on the big stage, of course it is,’ Solskjaer told BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘You’ve got to make sure he’s ready for it, you see examples of Ajax, who play in a different league, but Matthijs de Ligt… they made him captain when he was 18. You can see something special in them. Teden’s got something special in him. It’s about picking the right moment to give him a chance.’

MORE : Paul Scholes labels Arsenal ‘bang average’ after draw against Manchester United

MORE : Bruno Fernandes blanked Arsenal players by storming off the pitch after Manchester United’s draw at the Emirates

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Wayne Rooney snaps up Manchester United prospect Teden Mengi on loan for Derby County

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Holding has been a mainstay for the Gunners this season
Holding has been a mainstay for the Gunners this season (Picture: Getty Images)

Sol Campbell has heaped praise on Rob Holding for turning his career around at Arsenal.

The 25-year-old looked set to join Newcastle on loan at the beginning of the season after the arrivals of Pablo Mari and Gabriel back in the summer, but Mikel Arteta changed his mind and convinced Holding to stay at the club.

Since then, the English centre-back has gone on to become a key cog in the heart of Arsenal’s backline this season, making 18 Premier League appearances so far.

The defender was once again dominant in the draw with United
The defender was once again dominant in the draw with United (Picture: Getty Images)

Holding had to recover from rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in December 2018, which ruled him out of action for nine months, and missed several games earlier this season with a hamstring issue.

Despite those setbacks, he has been one of the Gunners’ most consistent performers in defence and further proved his worth with another solid display in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United at the Emirates.

Legendary Arsenal centre-back Campbell has been impressed by the defender and the manner in which he has turned his fortunes around at the north London club.

When asked who has been the most impressive at the back for Arteta’s side, Campbell told Stadium Astro: ‘I think Rob Holding, he’s been fantastic. 

‘He’s had a couple of injuries this season, in and out. But he’s come in solid and held his own.

‘Today, he got some really good defensive headers out of the danger zone, getting those little touches. 

‘He has really come on and I’m really happy for him, because he was touch and go to leave Arsenal and he’s had a few injuries and now come in strong.

‘He’s been definitely one of the pluses since he’s got back into the side.’

Holding has helped the Gunners climb up to 10th in the table with a run of five wins from their last seven league games.

Arsenal are back in action again on Tuesday night when they take on Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves at Molineux.

MORE : Bruno Fernandes blanked Arsenal players by storming off the pitch after Manchester United’s draw at the Emirates

MORE : William Saliba admits he was ‘hurt’ by Mikel Arteta’s treatment at Arsenal

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Holding has been a mainstay for the Gunners this season (Picture: Getty Images) Sol Campbell has heaped praise on Rob Holding for tur...
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