Liverpool suffer Sven Botman transfer blow with Lille ‘desperate to keep’ £40m-rated defender until at least the summer
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LILLE defender Sven Botman is reportedly unlikely to join Liverpool this month.
The Reds are interested in signing a centre-back after Virgil van Dijk suffered a serious knee injury in October.
Netherlands Under-20 international Botman has been linked with a move to Anfield.
But Liverpool have not made contact with Lille, according to .
The French club are reportedly eager to retain his services until the end of the season.
It is claimed only an offer in the region of £40million would tempt Lille into selling.
Botman has cut an impressive figure for Lille following last summer's transfer from Ajax.
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The 20-year-old has been a regular at the back for the Ligue 1 title hopefuls, making 25 appearances in all competitions.
Liverpool's season has been disrupted by injuries to defenders.
Van Dijk has been out of action since suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury against Everton in the Merseyside derby.
Joe Gomez is expected to miss the bulk of the campaign after undergoing surgery on a tendon in his left knee in November.
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Liverpool's other senior defender, Joel Matip, picked up a groin injury in last month's 1-1 draw with West Brom.
But there was some good news for Jurgen Klopp before Manchester United's visit to Anfield as Matip returned to training.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Klopp said: "To bring him [in], I don't know. We have to see, we have to decide, we have to look at him and how he will train, how he looks in training and these kind of things, but we have still different solutions."