Liverpool to make offer for €60m centre-back within DAYS

Liverpool secured Virgil van Dijk to a contract renewal before the end of the season. With the Dutchman’s previous terms expiring in summer 2025, sporting director Richard Hughes ensured continuity at centre-back by having Van Dijk commit until 2027.

That gives the Reds a degree of security in making their defensive plans but all around Van Dijk there is uncertainty. We could see Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez LEAVE in this transfer window, reducing the number of available centre-backs by two.

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Those sales would leave Liverpool with ONLY Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as options in the heart of defence. But the captain turns 34 this summer and won’t be around forever, while the Merseysiders have also got a problem to solve with Konate.

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The Frenchman, 26, is out of contract next year and if no agreement is reached over a renewal then he too could be sold. In this context it is wise for Richard Hughes and Arne Slot to be looking at the market for new defenders.

Diomande back on the radar

Their search has now reportedly taken them back to Portugal, where Ousmane Diomande is once again in focus. Diomande, 21, has just won the Portuguese league and cup double with his side, earning the plaudits for another solid season’s work.

The Ivory Coast international is now attracting transfer attention from the Premier League - with A Bola disclosing that Crystal Palace have got the former Midtjylland stopper on their list to replace Marc Guehi.

“The Premier League club sought to find out the amount to buy the central defender from Alvalade and received the answer immediately: the Lions will only sit at the negotiating table for amounts of around €60 million,” the report reads.

But intriguingly it’s added that several other Premier League clubs - Liverpool included - have also taken this “first step” towards signing Diomande.

Liverpool could make Diomande offer

“Crystal Palace, by the way, were not the only ones to take this first step towards Diomande,” the report continues.

“Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, as well as Bayern Munich (interest dating back to January) have not lost sight of the centre-back and could make an offer in the coming days.”

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Diomande is under contract until 2027 having joined Sporting from Danish side Midtjylland in 2023. He has played 101 times for Sporting, scoring six goals and adding two assists.

On FOTMOB he ranks highly for recoveries and duels won - while his aerial duel percentage is solid at around 65 percent.