New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long has caught the attention of English Premier League giants Liverpool with a view to taking the defender on loan, multiple sources have told ESPN.
Liverpool are plagued by backline injuries, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all sidelined. The need of the Reds was so great that midfielder Jordan Henderson was forced to be deputy in the center of Liverpool’s defense. Long would offer a short term depth option to alleviate the Reds’ shortage of backline options.
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Manager Jurgen Klopp made it clear after Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur that he would like to add a new central defender in this month’s transfer window.
“If you have a middle half available at a reasonable price, and one with the quality we need, drop me a line,” he said on BT Sport.
“We thought [about making signings] and we think all the time, but it’s about doing the right thing. We have to find the right player. It’s unbelievable what is happening in the defense line. “
Liverpool have not officially confirmed interest in the defender when he was approached by ESPN for comment.
The link with Long comes amid increasing European interest in the international defender USMNT. The Washington Post reported that England’s championship side wants to borrow Reading Long, while MLSSoccer.com said there was “interest from clubs in England and France.”
A source in the league told ESPN on Thursday that the Red Bulls had not yet received formal offers for Long. The transfer market in Europe closes on Monday evening.
Long, 28, is something of a late bloomer. He was called up by the Portland Timbers in 2014, but was released mid-season after being on loan placements in the USL Championship with Sacramento Republic and the Orange County Blues.
He soon joined the Seattle Sounders and played for their reserve team in 2015. In 2016, Long went on trial with the Red Bulls and signed with their reserve team, New York Red Bulls II, and spent the entire 2016 season in the USL.
In 2017, Long broke into the Red Bulls first team and has been a mainstay ever since, with 120 league, cup and playoff games and nine goals. He was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018, a season in which the Red Bulls claimed the Supporters Shield, which goes to the team with the highest regular season points total.
Long’s form then caught the attention of Gregg Berhalter, manager of the US national men’s team, with Long playing for the US 18 times, scoring three goals. Long is in training camp with the American side and is expected to play a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago in Orlando on Sunday.