€100m asking price set for PERFECT Virgil Van Dijk replacement

Liverpool have a few different fires that have sparked recently and they need to be put out.

Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah only extended their contracts at the end of last season, and yet we've seen claims that they might be nearing the end of their careers after a period of bad form.

Both players will be around until 2027 when their new deals expire and as we've seen over the last few games, Liverpool are still more than capable of delivering results. The team is just in transition.

Nonetheless, we will need to start looking at how the Reds can limit the drop-off of losing them when the time comes, and given how reliable the pair have been over the years, it won't be straightforward.

Furthermore, when it comes to looking at the Dutchman specifically, there is a whole range of issues in the defence that will need to be sorted in tandem. The recruitment team has got a lot to consider.

Bastoni is available - for €100m

Reports last week claimed Liverpool were interested in signing Alessandro Bastoni from European giants Inter Milan and the club was willing to put €80m on the table to convince them to let him go.

For the Reds, that would equate to £70m - just short of what Van Dijk cost from Southampton in 2017.

The only caveat in the report was that the intel came from Spanish outlet Fichajes, so perhaps there was reason to doubt the information being claimed. Now, however, Italian news website Il Giorno has confirmed that Liverpool are in the race, although the 'asking price' has changed quite significantly.

€100m (£87.9m) would need to be offered before Inter even consider letting the 26-year-old leave - which would be a record transfer fee for a defender, beating Harry Maguire's record by nearly £8m.

His impact in the side has been massive this season, keeping four clean sheets in the Champions League and Serie A, while scoring once and notching three assists from his centre-back role as well.

The system that Cristian Chivu uses makes it possible for the Italian to get up the pitch more than your average defender might ordinarily do, but it's clear that he's thriving as a result of the tactics.

Van Dijk has been the archetypal defender of the last decade, performing to a level that few have ever been able to reach, but Bastoni is right alongside him in the top echelon of European defenders.

Playing over 2500 minutes in six consecutive seasons is no mean feat, especially when you consider that Bastoni is only 26. Availability is an underrated factor when it comes to identifying elite players.

In a report from Caught Offside, the Italian is considered to be the 'perfect fit' for Slot's system and his physical presence, alongside how comfortable he is on the ball, illustrates perfectly why that is.

Not only would Van Dijk be sufficiently replaced - for whenever the Dutchman decides to call it a day - but Ibrahima Konate would also be challenged for minutes in the Liverpool squad, if he decides that his future is best placed on Merseyside beyond this season, with him signing a new deal.

In addition, we'd have one of the best role-models available for 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni to learn from as he attempts to follow in Bastoni's footsteps by getting selected for the Italian national team.

The sheer number of pros for this move is remarkable, but the money is not an insignificant factor and after spending £450m last summer, the Reds will have to seriously weigh up this potential move.

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