Liverpool are watching £17m defender and could move to sign him after ‘remarkable’ recent performances

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There is not long left for Liverpool to get some late business done in the transfer window.

The Reds have had a very quiet summer on the whole, largely failing to address the apparant weaknesses in the squad.

Although Liverpool are close to signing Federico Chiesa, supporters will be worrying that they are no better off than they ended last season.

Prior to the summer market opening, Liverpool had seemed most in need of a new centre-half and a defensive central midfielder. As things stand, Arne Slot has signed neither.

With a little time left to make their moves, though, the Reds have now been linked to a brilliant up and coming young defender.

Liverpool watching Nathan Zeze

It isn’t as though Liverpool have not tried to solve their problems over the past few months.

They infamously tried to prise Martin Zubimendi away from Real Sociedad, but the Euro 2024 winner ultimately chose to stay at home.

At centre-back, Leny Yoro had been a dream target for Liverpool but they could not justify paying the money Man United eventually did to sign the 18-year-old.

It seems that Yoro was not the only young, Ligue 1 defender who the Reds had their eye on, though.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Liverpool’s Giorgi Mamardashvili from height to stats

According to French outlet Ouest France, Liverpool are keeping a close watch over the performances of Nantes centre-back Nathan Zeze.

The Reds are said to be ‘scrutinizing’ Zeze, who has reportedly made a ‘remarkable’ start to the season for his club.

The Nantes bosses are claimed to be happy to listen to offers for the 19-year-old, but will be looking for no less than £17m to sell him.

Who is Nathan Zeze?

If Yoro was the poster boy of the next generation of top French centre-backs, then Zeze cannot have been too far behind him.

Just five months older than the United defender, Zeze broke through into the first team at Nantes in 2023, before becoming a regular starter towards the back end of last season.

This term, the France U18 international has started each of Nantes’ two Ligue 1 games so far, helping them to keep a clean sheet in both.

For the kind of price being mentioned, Zeze would look much more in the wheelhouse of Liverpool than Yoro ended up being.

It may not happen before this summer’s deadline, but this young man is certainly one to keep on the radar.