Liverpool want La Liga defender, a good deal?

Kolkata, March 10: The rumour mill is strong in La Liga about Liverpool having reignited their interest in Real Betis centre-back Aissa Mandi.

The 29-year-old was a primary target for the Reds last summer too, but they were only willing to pay €9 million for his services which was €1.8 million below Betis' demands for the Algerian international.

However, it is now presumed that Liverpool is once again looking to try their luck with the former Reims star.

This has been a season to forget for Jurgen Klopp's men as they look not only destined to lose their Premier League title but are also in a position of potentially not even qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.

One of the key reasons for Liverpool's crisis this campaign is their series of injuries at the heart of the defence. The Reds have been without their first choice defensive pairing Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for the majority of the season while Joel Matip has also been unavailable for quite some time now.

Although Liverpool made two defensive reinforcements in January -- Ben Davies from Preston North End and Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke -- there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Liverpool have the option to make Kabak's signing a permanent one, but from what we have seen, it cannot be said for certain that Liverpool will exercise that option and even if they do, they can still afford to make another defensive signing.

Mandi would be available on a free transfer in the summer and has everything in his locker to become exactly the defender the Reds need right now.

He is excellent on the ball and has one of the best passing stats in La Liga this season. Also, Mandi boasts plenty of experience at the top level having played in Ligue 1 and La Liga for so many years and having also earned 59 caps for Algeria. Such a quality defender would add plenty of quality to the Liverpool backline.