Report: Long could be the answer for central defensive woes

Liverpool could be close to finding a answer to their need for a central defender with US international Aaron Long being linked to the club.

The Echo reports that due to the close relationship with the Red Bull sports group, Liverpool could take Long on loan for a three month spell from New York Red Bulls due to the fact that the MLS kickoff has been delayed until April at least because of the Coronavirus crisis gripping the country.

New York RB have also stated there is no loan fee but the only stipulation given is that there is no option to buy the player at the end of the three months.

Long may not be a name well known in the UK but the 28 year-old has quite the impressive resume in his homeland.

He has twice won the best defender award in the MLS as well as being named in the MLS team in the season (2018) and CONCACAF Gold Cup X1 in 2019.

But his backstory is a fascinating one and it has been quite a journey for the defender to get to this point.

After graduating from the University of California, Riverside, Long was picked in the MLS draft in 2014 by Portland Timbers, (36th pick), however he did not play a game for the Pacific Northwest side.

He was loaned to a couple of USL (second division) clubs and seemed to finally find a home with the Seattle Sounders 2 side.

It was there that the box to box midfielder was converted into a centre-back and that attracted the interest of New York Red Bulls who was coached at the time by Jesse Marsch (now manager at Salzburg).

But once again he had to prove his worth, earning his stripes in their second side before finally making his MLS debut in 2017, a full three years after he was initially drafted.

From there his performances have won wide acclaim and to emphasise that, he was made captain of the USMNT after just his third cap by manager Gregg Berhalter.

Anyone that follows US sports will know that they love the story of the underdog, the athlete who wasn’t a natural but had to fight all the way to achieve their dream.

A person who has ridden the journey with Long was Chris Armas who replaced Marsch as manager of New York RB and oversaw his rapid development.

He detailed the level of perseverance that Long has displayed.

“It’s a story. It’s incredible.

“It wasn’t the natural progression of guys coming through the national team ranks—youth national teams. It just wasn’t the path that he took. It was the one less traveled. He gets a lot of the credit—most of the credit. He has to.”

Armas said that for a player that had transitioned from a midfielder to a defender, New York was the perfect club for him.

“It’s aggressive, and it keeps him alert at all times. He almost got fast tracked and had to play catch-up. Playing center back on this team—what a demand. We’re not sitting deep in a block, shifting and stepping.

"It’s massive fires to put out, reading the game, combativeness, playing forward, playing fast. There’s a lot of details to how we play and I credit the philosophy of our club to his development.”

Long also credits Marsch for his forensic analysis in the tough early days when he was still in the second team which helped make him the player he is today.

“The amount of time he spent with me doing video and talking to me after my games. 

“He watched every Red Bulls II game. I think they still do, the coaches. That’s why they develop so much young talent. 

“Jesse would call me in after every game, and we’d do personal video sessions. A lot of work went into it, and as a second-team guy, I was blown away. I was like, ‘This guy definitely cares about me. He definitely sees a future.’”

In terms of strengths, Long combines his anticipation with above-average athleticism, and is able to position his body to neutralise defenders which has earned him a reputation as a tough opponent for forwards to deal with.

Long is also seen as a real asset from set pieces with his ability to outmuscle attackers in the box.

While his weaknesses lie in the fact that he lacks composure and bravery with the ball at his feet, and he's often not the most reliable option when it comes to playing out from the back.

Long has been tracked by the likes of West Ham and Championship side Reading, but with Liverpool reportedly joining the queue you sense that he would jump at the chance in joining the Champions even if for a short spell.

And for the Reds, Long seems to be just like the ideal character that Jurgen Klopp loves to have around the squad.

A win-win for all parties.