Three-man summer shortlist revealed as Liverpool consider center-back reinforcements

Missing out on Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham now sees the Reds turn their attention toward the heart of its defense for reinforcements in the summer

Posted Wednesday, April 19, 2023 by 101 GREAT GOALS

The summer transfer window has already begun to take shape for Premier League giants Liverpool according to reports from CBSSports’ Ben Jacobs during an exclusive with CaughtOffside that detailed interest in three center-backs that the Reds could make a move for come July.

According to Jacobs, the senior squad under beloved German tactician Jürgen Klopp could be strengthened by one of RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Evan Ndicka, or SSC Napoli’s Kim Min-jae.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨

🇭🇷 Josko Gvardiol

🇫🇷 Evan Ndicka

🇰🇷 Kim Min-jae#LFC have big names on their list of summer targets after pulling out of the race for Jude Bellingham 🔴

(@JacobsBen) pic.twitter.com/BMugSIONby
— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 18, 2023

Interest in the trio has increased as of late in the aftermath of Liverpool’s pulling out of the race for England and Borussia Dortmund midfield starlet Jude Bellingham, with the price tag for the mercurial central talent coming in around £130m; a figure the Reds are not willing to match in order to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid for the prized international.

During a 2022-23 campaign that has seen the club struggle on all fronts while currently sitting eighth in the table and nine points adrift of the Champions League places, many expect the Merseyside outfit to revamp the senior squad on the red side of Stanley Park, which could include upgrades in the center of defense.

At current, Liverpool can bank on a central quarter comprised of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joe Gomez, while the futures of both Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams seem to be away from Anfield.

One of Gvardiol, Ndicka, or Min-jae would surely offer an upgrade when it comes to squad depth and a player that could push for a birth alongside Van Dijk in the first-choice pairing, while also allowing the club to better cope with injuries should they arise.

Ndicka and Min-jae are likely to be more affordable than Gvardiol, which would also afford Liverpool more maneuverability in the summer market, but as it stands, no clear pathway has emerged.