brendan Rodgers
Reuters

Djurgarden defender Daniel Amartey has confirmed that Liverpool are in contact with the player for a transfer in January.

The 18-year-old , who can also play in midfield, was reportedly watched by Liverpool scouts while playing for the Ghana U-20 team and Brendan Rodgers has given the go-ahead to the scouting team to complete the move. The defender is expected to be available for a fee in the range of £1.5m as Rodgers looks to shore up his defence, which was found out against Arsenal in their 2-0 defeat at the Emirates.

"I have been in contact with the Liverpool management. I hope we can sort a transfer out - it's a great club to play for," Amartey said.

Liverpool have bought four defenders last summer in Aly Cissokho, Mamadou Sakho, Kolo Toure and Tiago Ilori and are looking at Amartey as a long term successor for Daniel Agger who is likely to be sold this summer. The Danish international has failed to make it to the starting line-up on a regular basis and has previously expressed his desire to leave the club if the situation does not change. Barcelona were reported to be interested in his services and may come back in for the defender with Carles Puyol failing to cope with injuries.

"If I don't play, and if the manager doesn't think I am good enough, that could make me leave Liverpool. I'm here to play football, nothing else. So if I don't play football, then I don't want to be here anymore," Agger told the Telegraph.

The Liverpool manager is now in a quandary, having seen his first choice defenders being brushed aside by a rampant Arsenal side and may have to look back at Agger to instil some pace in the backline. Meanwhile, the Liverpool manager will be more worried about his lack of options in midfield, which was stepped aside by the Gunners and have to look in the market for a long term successor for Steven Gerrard, who is long past his prime, as was evident in the way he was overrun in their game against Arsenal.