After confirming their first signing of the summer, Liverpool could be looking to the Bundesliga and 21 year-old Greek International Kyriakos Papadopoulos to bolster their defensive ranks. It was announced on Tuesday that Kolo Toure will be joining The Reds from Manchester City when his contract expires. He comes on a free transfer and after almost a decade in the English game has a great deal of experience to pass on. Valued at
roughly £12 million, Papadopoulos has been recovering from injury for the second half of the 2012/13 campaign. However, in the previous seasons at German club Schalke 04 the big centre-half showed his potential with a string of high quality performances in the Champions League arousing interest from some of Europe's bigger clubs. With him comes several physical attributes that would hold the Greek in good stead applying his trade in English football. Papadopoulos is strong and plays taller than his 6"0 stature would suggest. He can provide a threat at set-pieces and scored on six occasions in the 11/12 German season. However, he is deceptively quick and paired with Daniel Agger allow Liverpool to have a speedy defensive pairing that would cater to Brendan Rodgers' high-line system. Despite his age and recent injuries, Papadopoulos comes with over 150 appearances at the highest level for both club and country (youngest debutant in Greek League history at 15), and his age fits in perfectly for John Henry and the spending strategy of the FSG. Former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby is a fan and wrote in
the Liverpool Echo: "Papadopoulos is as strong as a bull, dominant in the air and very good in one-on-one situations. When Ive seen him in Champions League matches, Ive been impressed. He certainly fits the profile in terms of the type Liverpool seem to want to build a team around hes a talented young player with real potential". There is always a concern signing a player who is coming off a substantial lay0ff. This has crippled Liverpool in the past after the signing of an injured Alberto Aquilani. This proved to be a poor financial investment and The Reds need to be completely sure that - after a solid pre-season - Papadopoulos will be available for first team football. The validity of this transfer is heightened as Schalke have signed Borrusia Dortmund defender Felipe Santana, according to
Goal.com, on a 1 million deal that could see Papadopoulos being replaced. This is one deal/rumour that Liverpool would be extremely wise to tie up as quickly as possible. Word is that an offer will be tabled for the Greek in the coming weeks and his signature should please all Liverpool fans.