Liverpool joining Real Madrid in chase for SENSATIONAL Spain under-21 star

Liverpool have been left short at centre-back this season - for a variety of reasons.

Sporting director Richard Hughes opted to sell Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £30m last summer and replaced the homegrown talent with Giovanni Leoni.

But the Italian teenager suffered an ACL injury on debut and isn’t expected to play again this season. And the Premier League champions also missed out on a deadline day deal for Marc Guehi - now widely expected to join Manchester City for £20m.

Those events reduced Arne Slot’s senior options to THREE - in the shape of Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and captain Virgil van Dijk.

With Konate out of contract in 2026 - and the other duo seeing their terms expire in 2027 - there is an alarming need for the Anfield club to add centre-backs to their squad.

Jacobo Ramon emerging as big defensive talent

One name freshly linked with a move to Merseyside is Jacobo Ramon - the hugely impressive Spain under-21 international excelling in Serie A with Como.

Ramon, 21, swapped Real Madrid for Cesc Fabregas’ side last summer in a deal worth only £2m. But the 15-time European champions hold all the aces when it comes to the defender’s future.

Real secured a buyback clause for Ramon set at only €8m and given his form for his new club they would be foolish not to exercise it. It must also be remembered that Madrid will also earn 50 percent of any proceeds should Como decide to sell him elsewhere.

Los Blancos are expected to make big changes at centre-back next summer with David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger due to leave and Ramon could be a candidate to take over.

Liverpool on ALERT for Jacobo Ramon

Perhaps Alvaro Arbeloa’s side will be tempted to buy Ramon back and sell him onwards for a much bigger fee than the €8m they are due to pay Como.

There is no shortage of interest in the Premier League - with TEAMtalk listing Liverpool among the candidates to sign him next summer.

“Real Madrid are keeping close tabs on Jacobo Ramon’s progress at Como, and they are in a strong position to sign him amid interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle,” the report reads.

“Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle had all been alerted to the progress of the defender, while Brighton and Crystal Palace are also admirers.”

It must be admitted that Liverpool are currently outsiders in this transfer chase - with Madrid likely to decide Ramon’s next destination.

But if they can somehow snaffle the stopper then it would mean security for many years ahead in the centre-back department.

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