Liverpool enter race for £77m star with a “freak profile”

There was a degree final season when Liverpool had established a commanding lead on the prime of the Premier League but nonetheless did not earn the respect and, maybe, worry, of their closest title rivals.

You may need traced it again additional. Earlier than a ball had been kicked, BBC Sport’s 30 specialists had a go at naming their decide for the league champion. Every of the pundits failed to decide on Liverpool, who gained the Premier League at a canter, ten factors forward of Arsenal on the end regardless of loosening requirements throughout the ultimate 4 fixtures.

In truth, Stephen Warnock and Fara Williams have been the one BBC Sport pundits to declare Liverpool would end within the prime two. Make no mistake, the Reds have been hardly anticipated to problem for the title after dropping Jurgen Klopp, however Klopp left an unbelievable, dynamic group behind, and FSG bagged Slot gold, having barely dipped into the switch market.

Is it any surprise Liverpool have attacked the market with such vicious intent? The Merseysiders have spent round £200m this summer season and extra is but to come back, with striker Hugo Ekitike and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi each fastened on the prime of the buying listing.

In Guehi’s case, Eagles chairman Steve Parish would possibly show to be too difficult a negotiator, pricing his captain at £50m regardless of their being only one yr remaining on his contract.

However ought to Liverpool push forward all the identical?

Why Liverpool need Marc Guehi

Liverpool may wrap up their switch window proper now and be content material. Who would not after signing Florian Wirtz for a British-record £116m price? The German expertise, plucked from his heralded place within the Bundesliga, may revolutionise the Anfield aspect.

However Liverpool wish to pack extra high quality throughout different positions. Sporting director Richard Hughes tried and did not persuade Actual Madrid’s Dean Huijsen to affix from Bournemouth in Could, however in Guehi, Liverpool would possibly discover the proper different.

His management and composure, technical qualities and combativeness all see him align with Slot’s imaginative and prescient, particularly if a breakthrough can’t be discovered with Ibrahima Konate, who has 12 months left on his personal deal as Los Blancos look to pilfer extra expertise from Liverpool’s chest.

Jarell Quansah has additionally been bought to Bayer Leverkusen in a deal price £35m.

Liverpool need Guehi, and so they need him unhealthy. Nonetheless, they’re open to a wide range of choices and will hit the jackpot with a sure different hailing from the German scene.

Liverpool in race for Bundesliga star

Liverpool have registered their curiosity in RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba, who, in accordance with Foot Mercato, is being chased by the Reds, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.

With a €90m (£77m) launch clause, Lukeba would not come low cost – though it is unlikely that the suitors would pay such a determine.

Nonetheless, with the France worldwide open to leaving, Leipzig can be keen to money in for a extra modest sum, for they completed sixth within the Bundesliga final time period and thus haven’t any European soccer to stay up for in 2025/26.

What Castello Lukeba would deliver to Liverpool

When beforehand discussing Lukeba’s potential switch to Liverpool, analyst Ben Mattinson stated that Anfield would signify the “good transfer” for the defender.

Certainly, Lukeba’s “freak profile”, positively spoken in regard to his athleticism and flexibility, bespeaks his suitability in Slot’s system.

And have Liverpool not hit the jackpot many occasions when raiding the Bundesliga for thrilling younger prospects?

Wirtz, certainly, is a wonderful instance of this; he won’t have kicked a ball on Merseyside but, however the 22-year-old is destined for greatness.

Lukeba is barely 22 and has already demonstrated his qualities fantastically throughout the 2024/25 marketing campaign, ranked among the many prime 13% of central defenders in Europe’s prime 5 leagues for passes tried, the highest 20% for progressive passes, the highest 12% for progressive carries and the highest 1% for profitable take-ons per 90, in addition to the highest 15% for aerial duel success fee, as per FBref.

His power and starvation to win duels and fend off opposing forwards blends with a pointy technicality that Slot would use to instil calm by means of Liverpool’s backline. The progressiveness that we are able to observe by means of his attacking metrics solely emphasises his wide-ranging ability set additional.

This “chief”, as he is been described by expertise scout Jacek Kulig, would observe Wirtz in being a younger Bundesliga expertise moving into Slot’s squad to plug a spot and probably rise towards the uppermost stage of the sport.

He has the potential, to make certain. Having already accomplished 72 appearances for Leipzig after transferring from French aspect Lyon, the place he performed 68 occasions after slicing his enamel within the membership’s academy, there is a wealth of expertise which Liverpool may construct upon.

Furthermore, Lukeba has rebounded from harm setbacks all through his youthful profession in the same vein to Wirtz, whose ACL harm as a teen preceded his invincible home marketing campaign of 2023/24 with Bayer Leverkusen, when he was topped the Bundesliga Participant of the Yr.

Lukeba won’t carry fairly the identical inventory, however he is an immensely gifted defender focused by among the best golf equipment on the earth.

Following Konate, Joel Matip, Bobby Firmino and extra from making his manner from Germany to Anfield, this younger centre-half may outline the approaching period on Merseyside, together with Wirtz.