‘Watch that one…’ – Liverpool journalist not ruling out Reds swoop for ‘interesting name’ | OneFootball

Liverpool reporter David Lynch has named Paris Saint-Germain defender Illya Zabarnyi as a prospective transfer target worth keeping an eye on this summer.

The journalist had previously cited the Ukraine international as a player worth watching in this transfer window, having also been of interest to the Reds last year when he was still at Bournemouth, where of course his head coach was now-LFC boss Andoni Iraola.

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The Basque has hinted that the Merseyside club could plausibly enter the market for a centre-back in the coming weeks, and the PSG defender might potentially fit the bill at Anfield.

Lynch: ‘Keep an eye on’ Zabarnyi to Liverpool

Speaking to the Media Matters podcast for Anfield Index, Lynch named Zabarnyi as a possible transfer target for Liverpool, albeit with the caveat that it isn’t quite a concrete pursuit just yet.

He stated: “Definitely someone to kind of at least keep an eye on. I’d say, you know, Richard Hughes bought him for Bournemouth. Obviously Iraola worked with him and absolutely loved him as well. 

“There’s a suggestion PSG will be open to a sale, but there’s… I mean, how many ifs are there? It’s crazy, really. It’s just one I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a move there for him later in the window if PSG really want to shove him out the door, but we’re not at that point yet.

“It’s just a name that I think is worth throwing out there. He’s someone that is clearly liked by the recruitment staff at Liverpool, clearly liked by the manager, has Premier League experience, good age, might be available, but that’s up to PSG.

“Honestly, I can’t think of a single link that I think has got genuine 100% legs at the moment. That’s why I kind of think with Zabarnyi, there’s just a lot of boxes ticked by him; so I’m like, I just think he’s worth keeping an eye on. Let’s kind of watch that one, really. That’s an interesting name.”

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Could Liverpool plausibly move for Zabarnyi this summer?

While the Ukrainian was a regular starter in Ligue 1 for PSG last season (26), he had more of a backup role in the Champions League, starting just twice on their route to eventual glory in Budapest two months ago (Transfermarkt).

He’s only been in Paris for a year, but those numbers would suggest that Luis Enrique’s side might be open to letting him go if the price is right. Also, as Lynch mentioned, it was Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes who oversaw his move to Bournemouth in 2023 and Iraola who coached him for the bulk of his two-and-a-half years with the Cherries.

When looking at his underlying performance figures from last term (via Fotmob), Zabarnyi stood out for his distribution of the ball, but he ranked poorly compared to other Ligue 1 centre-backs for core defensive metrics such as tackling and interceptions.

For now, the Reds’ rumoured interest in the Ukrainian seems tentative rather than absolute, like it is with his PSG teammate Bradley Barcola.

However, if the 1 September deadline approached and Liverpool are still on the lookout for defenders, it’s not unthinkable that they could try their luck at reuniting the 23-year-old with Iraola at Anfield.