Since the departure of Joel Matip, Liverpool are one short in the centre-back regions despite having Virgil van Dijk, Jarrel Quansah and Ibrahima Konate. It’s time to stop considering Joe Gomez as a centre-back as it’s been a while since he played there.
There have been talks about including Sepp van den Berg into the first team picture but the Reds might be looking at a more high-profile name. What the club need is a young defender with sky-high potential as the experience is already sorted with Van Dijk and Konate to an extent.
News – Liverpool now ahead of Man United in negotiations to sign “world class” star – Report
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have held talks about signing £33.7m-£37.9m rated Bundesliga winner Odilon Kossounou from Bayer Leverkusen. The 23-year-old is said to be keen on a move to the Premier League.
The report adds that the Ivory Coast international is willing to leave the Bundesliga and the defending German champions are also willing to part ways with him for the right offer. This makes him a very realistic target for Liverpool.
The Reds are no strangers to signing from the Bundesliga. Konate, who they signed from RB Leipzig when the whole world was talking about Dayot Upamencano has proven to be a steal.
Similarly, when others are focusing on Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie, Liverpool can steal Kossounou from under their noses.
As per CO, Nathaniel Phillips, Sepp van den Berg and Rhys Williams are expected to leave the club this summer with the middle one being the only player with a slight possibility of staying. It would be catastrophic if we go into the new season without a centre-back signing.
The Reds are set to face competition from Newcastle United for his signature. The Magpies are in the market to find a reliable, long-term partner for Sven Botman. Eddie Howe is said to be a huge fan of the Leverkusen defender.
Should it come down to a straight shootout between Liverpool and Newcastle, the Reds will be hoping for their storied history and a quicker shot at Champions League football to tilt the scales in their favour. It could all come down to who makes the first bid and the Merseyside club need to be attentive and wrap up this deal.
