Liverpool’s defence could well be torn apart during the upcoming summer transfer window
The Reds have had a fairly consistent back line over the past seven or eight years, with Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson near ever-presents.
But with Alexander-Arnold on his way to Real Madrid and with question marks still surrounding Van Dijk, all of that could soon change.
Robertson’s place is under threat too, with Liverpool reportedly weighing up a move for Milos Kerkez at left-back.
If that wasn’t enough, Jarell Quansah is being linked with Newcastle, while Joe Gomez is not certain to stay and nor is Ibrahima Konate, who will have just one year left on his contract come June.
As a result, this summer feels like a big one for Arne Slot and Richard Hughes to reshape the Liverpool defence. And with that in mind, reports from Italy claim the Reds could revisit a former transfer target.
Liverpool keen on Oumar Solet
Liverpool have not signed a first-team centre-back since Konate joined in 2021. Since then, the Reds have passed up plenty of opportunities to strengthen.
One of those chances seemingly came in January 2024, when, with former sporting director Jorg Schmadtke still at the helm, Liverpool considered signing Oumar Solet from RB Salzburg.
The Reds are said to have discussed bringing Solet in but ultimately decided against it. From there, the Frenchman bizarrely terminated his contract at Salzburg last September, before emerging at Udinese in January 2025.
Since then, Solet has been making a name for himself in Italy. And according to Sport Italia, the 25-year-old is now wanted by Liverpool once again.
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They claim that the Reds join Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea in keeping an eye on Solet, who has reportedly catapulted himself into the spotlight with some good performances.
Although Udinese signed him for nothing just three months ago, Solet’s price-tag is already said to be somewhere around £25m. It’s claimed that this could even rise again if his form continues to be good.
Solet could be an option for Liverpool
Solet’s situation is a rather strange one. Having been linked with big clubs, he looked set to get a decent-sized move in 2024. However, this didn’t happen and he left Salzburg for nothing.
With respect to Udinese, they are not at the level of Liverpool, but the Italian club have given Solet a platform to show that he is a very good defender.
Liverpool are seemingly on the lookout for a new centre-back this summer and if that is a third or fourth choice to replace Gomez or Quansah, then Solet could be an option.
The former Lyon stopper is never going to be a leader at the back for the Reds like Van Dijk, for example, but as a cost-effective squad player, then why not? They have clearly had their eye on him before.
If Solet can keep up his good form at Udinese then he may have his eye on being a starter somewhere else, but maybe Liverpool will still be an attractive option, too.
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