Liverpool LINKED with Ibrahima Konate's compatriot as Reds put together for all times WITHOUT Virgil van Dijk

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September 12, 2024

The seek for stars to exchange Liverpool’s summer time 2025 contract expirees seems to be in full swing, with the emergence of a switch worth for a focused centre-back.

Just like the crew’s attacking talisman Mohamed Salah, defensive rock and membership captain Virgil van Dijk is taken into account a really onerous act to observe.

Therefore why sporting director Richard Hughes and his recruitment colleagues are reported to be specializing in alternate options for the Reds’ rearguard.

That is very a lot in regards to the coronary heart of the again 4, the place Joel Matip‘s departure on the finish of final time period has left Arne Slot with solely 4 senior choices for 2 berths – van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, utility man Joe Gomez and Academy graduate Jarell Quansah.

Jarell Quansah

Left-back is nicely stocked with Andy Robertson contracted till June 2026, and his cowl Kostas Tsimikas on the books for an additional yr.

In the meantime, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is regarded as the easiest player to replace among the many three who might depart on a free switch in 2025, given his place is already being challenged by a ready-made alternative in Conor Bradley.

The Northern Eire defender has come on as an alternative choice to his senior colleague in every of the three Premier League wins up to now this season, and it will likely be intriguing to see Arne Slot begins him in Saturday’s house conflict with Nottingham Forest or the Champions League opener away to Milan simply three days later.

BADE COULD BE GOOD FOR REDS’ BACK FOUR

If discovering the brand new van Dijk is due to this fact the precedence, even when the Dutchman is persuaded to remain and signal a brand new deal, then Liverpool appear to be no less than window-shopping in the identical nation the place the shutters had been ultimately pulled down on a summer time swoop for Martin Zubimendi.

Whereas Hughes’s solitary goal for the no.6 function determined to stick with his boyhood membership Real Sociedad, it may be hoped he would have extra pleasure in prising centre-back Loic Bade away from Sevilla.

The 24-year-old is French and has already skilled life in England, albeit with out making a first-team look throughout a irritating mortgage spell at Nottingham Forest from September 2022 to January 2023.

Bade has proven some loyalty to Seville – the aspect he helped to win the Europa League in Could 2023, scoring within the quarter-finals in opposition to Manchester United – by signing a contract that might maintain him there till 30 June 2029. Nevertheless, readers of this web site and FootballTransfers.com know that lengthy dates merely drive up switch charges.

FootballTransfers.com has priced Bade at £16million (19 million Euros), not way more than the £10million outlay Hughes was comfy in spending on Federico Chiesa final month.

Hughes’s different summer time signing of Giorgi Mamardashvili could be very a lot one for the longer term – the Georgia goalkeeper will be part of Liverpool from Valencia for the beginning of subsequent season – so the sporting director already has kind for astute ahead planning.

If he can usher in Bade, as early as the following switch window in January, it might result in Slot fielding a pair of French centre-backs if and when van Dijk turns into unavailable, quickly or completely.

Konate has began the season so nicely, as one of many beneficiaries of the new manager’s edict to immediately improve three players who under-performed final time period.

Bade, who earned his first call-up to France‘s senior squad this month, might leap on the probability to additionally elevate his sport underneath Slot.