Liverpool get SERIOUS about signing £78m centre-back

Liverpool are facing a centre-back shakeup over the coming transfer windows.

The future of Ibrahima Konate is a key concern - with the 26-year-old out of contract at the end of the season. If no new deal is agreed then the France international will be LEAVING the club on a free transfer.

That alone is a big problem but there are also other issues to consider. Virgil van Dijk is approaching 35 - and with a contract until 2027 the captain is going to need replacing sooner rather than later.

Factor in the contract scenario of Joe Gomez - also out of contract in 2027 - and you can see the need for quality and numbers in Liverpool’s backline.

The process has been kicked off this winter with the signings of Noah Adekoya from Burnley and Mor Talla Ndiaye from Amitie FC in Senegal.

We expect to see a deal wrapped up for Austrian sensation Ifeanyi Ndukwe too when he turns 18.

Liverpool get serious about Van de Ven

But those deals are for the future and the Premier League champions need centre-backs for the here and now.

One deal which looks set to be moving closer is landing Micky van de Ven from Tottenham. The 24-year-old is reported by TEAMtalk to be stalling on a new contract until the future of Thomas Frank is sorted out.

Currently signed up until 2029 Van de Ven is a player of genuine interest to Liverpool according to the same report.

The Dutch international could fetch around £78m in the transfer window and as a left-sided centre-back he is well placed to first learn from Van Dijk before being eventually groomed for a takeover.

Van de Ven valued at £78m

“Liverpool hold genuine interest in Tottenham Hotspur star Micky van de Ven,” the report reads.

“Tottenham risk seeing their fears of losing Van de Ven intensify unless a new elite manager is in place by next summer.”

So Liverpool have an opportunity to capitalise on the struggles of Spurs - who are going nowhere fast under their beleaguered Danish tactician.

Van de Ven is well known to Arne Slot - his compatriot. The Liverpool head coach wanted to sign the left-footer on a couple of occasions in the past.

Van de Ven came through at Volendam in the Netherlands and Slot initially tried to recruit him for AZ. And before he moved to Wolfsburg - back in 2021 - Slot wanted him for Feyenoord.

The player saw his future differently however - excelling in the Bundesliga before his 2023 move to North London.

It could soon come time to move on however with Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes positioning himself for a summer deal.

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