Liverpool refrained from splashing the cash in Arne Slot’s first summer in charge of the club.
Federico Chiesa was the only player who came through the door, although the Reds did agree a deal in principle to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia in the summer of 2025.
However, plans are already in motion to fine-tune the squad in the upcoming transfer window as Slot has now had more than enough time to evaluate the current crop.
And if reports are to be believed, an exciting defender seems to have caught Liverpool’s eye after a scouting expedition to Spain.
Liverpool continue to scout Sevilla’s Loic Bade
Loic Bade has quickly become an indispensable member of the Sevilla squad and was recently called up to the French senior squad after impressing at the Paris Olympics, although he hasn’t made his national team debut yet.
The 24-year-old has a release clause of around £50m and rejected advances from Stuttgart earlier this year to remain at Sevilla.
Bade has long been linked with Liverpool as a replacement for Virgil van Dijk, whose future remains uncertain as his contract expires next summer.
And now, a report from Diario AS states that Liverpool scouts were in attendance at Montjuic to watch Bade, who impressed for Sevilla last weekend despite their 5-1 hammering against Barcelona.
The Frenchman has firmly established himself as the leader of their backline and played a magnificent pass for Stanis Idumbo’s late goal, although it proved to be merely a consolation.
The report also states that Sevilla are open to selling Bade for a fee considerably lower than his release clause due to their ongoing financial woes, making him an intriguing option for the Reds.
Sporting CP’s Gonzalo Inacio has also been linked with a move to Liverpool, with the Portuguese international reportedly valued at around £38m.
Loic Bade’s underlying numbers this season
Bade has started seven of Sevilla’s ten La Liga games this season and his underlying numbers make for impressive reading.
- 650 minutes played
- 85% pass accuracy
- 68% aerial duel success rate
- 5.9 duels won per game
- Five clearances and 0.9 interceptions per game
Links with the Sevilla defender don’t feel like just paper talk as it is a rumour that simply hasn’t gone away in recent months.
Time will tell if Liverpool move for a central defender, but it certainly appears as if Bade is a legitimate target as they scour the market for potential reinforcements in this position.
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