Liverpool Join Chelsea In Race For Star Defender

Liverpool have joined Chelsea in the race for Juventus centre back Matthijs de Ligt. It is believed at least £63 million would be required to purchase his services.

According to Italian news publication Tuttosport, Liverpool hold a long-term interest in Virgil Van Dijk’s international team centre back partner. 

Chelsea are the side more in need of signing a central defender this summer after the departures of both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.

The Blues have been linked with the likes of Nathan Aké and Jules Koundé, with new owner Todd Boehly leading negotiations.

For Liverpool, however, central defence isn’t really an area of priority. They are already pretty stacked in that area of the pitch.

That said, Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip are now the wrong side of 30, Ibrahima Konaté still has some developing to do, and Joe Gomez has next looked the same since returning from a knee injury which side-lined him for 7 months.

So, with an eye on the future, the signing of the 22-year-old de Ligt would make sense. A move would likely come hand in hand with the sale of one of Liverpool’s current central defenders.

But Jürgen Klopp might feel the opportunity to sign a defensive talent of the calibre of de Ligt would be too good a prospect to turn down.

Liverpool could end up going all in on this one.

However, whether the tentative interest in de Ligt does materialise into anything serious is unlikely.

Italian journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano believes Liverpool’s business concerning incomings is done for the summer, with The Reds’ focus now fixated upon keeping hold of what they’ve already got.

The hierarchy at the Merseyside club have also come to the decision that the signing of a new midfielder will be pushed back to next summer.

This is a result of the significant directed towards new forward signing Darwin Nuñez.

Thus, it would appear unlikely Matthijs de Ligt won’t be joining Liverpool this summer considering he’d set the Reds a fair way back financially.

For Chelsea fans though, this might be a saga to keep an eye on.