Liverpool are said to be interested in signing a “tough-tackling” defender, but the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid are also mentioned for the player who has been compared to Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool injury concern before Man Utd
The Reds’ international players will return to club duty this week, as they prepare for a huge Premier League clash at home to Man Utd on Sunday afternoon.
One player who is facing a race against time to be fit for the game is Ibrahima Konate, with the 26-year-old returning to Liverpool early from France duty, with his international side revealing his injury: “Injured in the right quadriceps during his last match with Liverpool, Ibrahima Konate has followed a treatment and protocol since his arrival this Monday but will not be able to take his place against Iceland.”
This is clearly a concern heading into a big game, even though Konate has struggled for top form so far this season, and the Reds’ centre-back options are starting to feel worryingly sparse.
New signing Giovanni Leoni is already out for the season with ACL damage, while Liverpool also cruelly missed out on signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi on deadline day, so they do feel slightly short at the heart of their defence.
Liverpool "like" £50m+ Bundesliga defender
According to journalist Mark Brus for Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing £52m-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba, with some other huge clubs also in the mix.
“Lukeba has a release clause worth €90m, which clubs see as too high, but it’s largely symbolic anyway – the real asking price is more like €60m. Liverpool like him, but you can add Chelsea, Man United, Newcastle and Real Madrid to that list.”
Liverpool need to focus on a new centre-back signing next summer, and frankly, an addition there could be needed in the January transfer window if their injury problems persist.
In Lukeba, the Reds would be signing a fantastic young player who is already a key man for Leipzig, making 79 appearances and also winning six caps for France.
At 22, he is playing with a level of maturity beyond his years, with Max Eberl heaping praise on his ability: “He is left footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball.”
The versatility that Eberl points out is a big positive with Lukeba, giving Liverpool depth in various areas, and he should be looked at as a leading centre-back option. In fact, Football Transfers say he is similar to Reds icon Van Dijk, which is an eye-catching comparison.
That said, Guehi still feels like the No.1 choice, having been so close to joining last month, and the hope is that they are still his preferred club, rather than the many others who have been linked with signing the England international.