Richard Hughes finds IDEAL centre-back to play alongside Jacquet

Liverpool’s centre-back department is undergoing a massive shakeup.

Last summer we saw Giovanni Leoni arrive on a £26m deal from Parma and the recruitment drive continued further in January.

Richard Hughes brought in Noah Adekoya from Burnley and Mor Talla of Senegalese side FC Amitie. A deal was also agreed to sign Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna - and that signing will go through in summer after he turns 18.

The biggest acquisition undoubtedly has been Jeremy Jacquet. Liverpool’s sporting director beat off competition from Chelsea to strike a £62m agreement with Rennes for the France under-21 international.

The 20-year-old will remain with his boyhood club until the end of the season - and he will then be expected to take up a first-team position under Arne Slot at Anfield.

Liverpool want Sven Botman

There has been a clear drive to get the average age down - and Liverpool look well set for the next group of defenders to come through the ranks.

But there could be an experience gap once the dust settles.

The 26-year-old Premier League champion Ibrahima Konate is expected to leave at the end of the season once his contract expires.

And Virgil van Dijk as well as Joe Gomez are out of contract in 2027 - meaning Liverpool’s backline in the long term is going to look very young.

That is unless a seasoned defender is recruited in the next couple of windows and it looks like Slot and Hughes have made up their minds about one candidate.

A report in Sports Boom claims that Newcastle’s Sven Botman is on the Reds’ recruitment shortlist - as a player who can fill in as a mentor for the younger players if and when Van Dijk leaves.

Liverpool 'difficult to resist' for Botman

“Liverpool will monitor Sven Botman’s situation at Newcastle during the remainder of the season before deciding whether to launch a bid for the defender,” the report reads.

“Arne Slot remains in the market for another centre-half as he looks to future proof his squad.

“Botman has been identified as someone with both the knowledge and experience to mentor Jacquet when Virgil van Dijk retires.”

Botman, 26, joined the Magpies from Lille back in 2022 and has established himself as a fine defender in both the Premier League and Champions League.

He has in fairness struggled with injury throughout his time in the North East but this doesn’t appear to have put the Premier League champions off.

Under contract until 2030 having recently signed an extension, the Netherlands international could end up adding to the growing Dutch contingent on Merseyside - a group which also includes Ryan Gravenberch, Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo.

“[Eddie] Howe knows the lure of Liverpool would prove difficult for Botman to resist,” the report reads.

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