Richard Hughes narrows centre-back wishlist to only two names
Liverpool will soon have to move on from Virgil van Dijk. The legendary centre-back was signed for £75m back in 2018 from Southampton - and has gone on to cement his place in club history.The Premier...
Richard Hughes narrows centre-back wishlist to only two names Liverpool will soon have to move on from Virgil van Dijk . The legendary centre-back was signed for £75m back in 2018 from Southampton - and has gone on to cement his place in club history. The Premier League title-winning captain has blossomed into the best defender in the world throughout his time at Anfield - and won every major honour in the game.
But the Netherlands’ international skipper is about to turn 35. And - at the end of the 2025/26 season - will have only one year to run on his contract. Van Dijk commands £400k per week on his current deal and it would be a surprise if talks were instigated about a new agreement.
Liverpool now chasing two centre-back deals Therefore a left-sided, high-quality centre-back is a necessity for Richard Hughes and Arne Slot before the end of next season. The Reds have taken steps to improve their central defensive options with the acquisitions of Giovanni Leoni, Jeremy Jacquet and Mor Talla Ndiaye. But those youngsters are still quite short on top-level experience.
That’s why links with more seasoned options make sense. A report in Football Insider now claims that the centre-back shortlist has narrowed to just two names. Liverpool have put Nico Schlotterbeck on the list - with the Borussia Dortmund centre-back having recently extended his contract beyond 2027.