Liverpool’s transfer window looks set to be condensed into the final three weeks of the summer.
The Reds have had more than two months to get their house in order ahead of the new season.
However, with plenty to sort out at Anfield following Arne Slot’s arrival, focus has been on adapting to the new regime.
With Slot having taken a long hard look at his Liverpool squad now, though, things are starting to happen. A move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi hangs in the balance.
But midfield is not the only position Liverpool could do with strengthening. And it seems like something could still happen for the Reds in terms of a new centre-back.
Liverpool considering Antonio Silva move
Ahead of the summer window opening, it had felt as though centre-back was the position Liverpool would prioritise.
The Reds have not bought a new defender since 2021, when Ibrahima Konate joined from RB Leipzig. Since then, Joel Matip has left the club while Virgil van Dijk is now 33.
Nevertheless, the promotion of Jarell Quansah from the Liverpool academy eased the need for a senior signing and Sepp van den Berg has done well in pre-season, too.
It still looks likely that Van den Berg will leave this summer, but for now he’s still around. And as a result, Slot has five centre-back options. Maybe that’s enough.
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According to Give Me Sport, though, the new head coach is ‘continuing to assess’ the possibility of bringing in a new defender.
Having missed out on both Leny Yoro and Willian Pacho recently, it’s claimed that Liverpool still have two names that they ‘appreciate’ on the market.
The first is Benfica defender Antonio Silva. Jamie Carragher predicted Silva will be a ‘superstar‘ and the Reds reportedly feel the same. Trigger his £85m release clause and the 20-year-old is theirs.
The second name claimed to be on Liverpool’s list is Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix. With a contract expiring in 2025, Lacroix would be the much cheaper option.
Will Liverpool buy a centre-back?
It feels as though there are a lot of moving parts to Liverpool’s search for a new centre-back. Will Joe Gomez leave, for example. What will happen with Van den Berg?
Should those two players stay, then there’s not really any room for another signing. Even if just the Dutchman leaves, it still might be that Liverpool have enough.
Nevertheless, if the Reds can get someone like Silva, it would be a real coup. £85m is incredibly steep, but it has been reported that Liverpool are looking for players with release clauses this summer.
In our opinion, the Reds will just find that a little too rich for their blood, but if they think – like Carragher – that Silva is a potential game-changer, then anything is possible.
Lacroix would appear a signing much more in-keeping with Liverpool’s business during FSG’s tenure, but let’s wait and see if they’re willing to go big this time.
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