Fabrizio Romano confirms Liverpool centre-back deal | OneFootball

Liverpool have taken big steps to secure the future at centre-back over the last couple of transfer windows.

Last year Giovanni Leoni arrived on a £26m deal from Parma with other signings announced since then.

Jeremy Jacquet arrives this summer for £60m from Rennes while Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye have also been recruited.

With Ibrahima Konate departing on a free transfer to Real Madrid - and Virgil van Dijk as well as Joe Gomez out of contract in summer 2027 - the outgoing Premier League champions remain in the hunt for quality and numbers at centre-back.

Fabrizio Romano: Centre-back deal done

It’s now been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano that the Anfield side have wrapped up the signing of one of the best young centre-back talents in Britain.

Dara Jikiemi, 16, is a Scotland youth international who up to now has been on the books at Celtic. But Jikiemi declined the opportunity to sign a new deal north of the border - paving the way for a summer move to Anfield.

Dara Jikiemi arrives from Celtic

Romano - the Italian transfer guru - has revealed that the talented defender has now inked a deal at Anfield.

“Liverpool have sealed deal to sign Scotland U16 captain Dara Jikiemi from Celtic, here we go!” he writes on X.

“Jikiemi has signed paperwork on Sunday to join #LFC on a 5 year contract.”

Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets

Open an account and place a qualifying bet of £10 at min odds of 1/5 (1.2) or greater.

18+New UK/ROI customers. Min £5 deposit. Bet Credits available on settlement of qualifying bets, capped at £10 stake. Min odds 1/5 (1.20). Bet Credits expire in 7 days. Excl. Cashed Out/Free Bets/Boosted odds. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

£30 FREECLAIM NOW

Jikiemi expected to join U18s

Jikiemi has been on Liverpool’s radar since November 2025 when reports first surfaced of the club’s interest.

It is likely that he will play a role with the club’s under-18s next season before hopefully embarking on a development journey at the AXA Training Centre in good time.

Liverpool previously completed the signing of Ben Gannon-Doak from Celtic’s academy - paying £600k for the Scottish winger back in 2022.

He earned a decent profit for Liverpool when moving to Bournemouth last summer for a fee that could reach £25m.