Liverpool exploring extraordinary centre-back steal – but it’ll cost eye-watering amount | OneFootball

Liverpool are looking into a sensational centre-back hijack amid claims the player is ‘waiting’ for a call from the Reds, though the cost of doing business could make Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards wince.

It’s no secret Liverpool will sign one and potentially even two new centre-backs next summer. The Reds had intended to sign Marc Guehi via free agency before Manchester City swooped earlier this month.

The overall cost of signing Guehi – estimated to be around £110m (excluding agent’s fees) when all is said and done – prompted Liverpool to keep their powder dry.

Whether that proves to be a wise decision will only become clear in the long run. In the short-term, it means Liverpool must look at alternatives and if Ibrahima Konate doesn’t sign a new contract, they’ll need two new players, not one.

A high calibre option linked with Liverpool over the past 24 hours is Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano.

The 35-cap France international is probably Bayern’s best in the centre-back position. The fact he’s been named in three of the past five Bundesliga teams of the season is evidence of that.

Upamecano, 27, is off contract in the summer. He has verbally agreed a new, long-term extension and Bayern have allowed the defender’s camp to insert a release clause into the agreement that activates in 2027.

However, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg recently set pulses racing when declaring the reason Upamecano still hasn’t officially put pen to paper is because he’s “waiting” for Liverpool or Real Madrid to come knocking.

Plettenberg explained: “Everyone is waiting for his commitment, his signature. His contract is ready. But Bayern Munich will not improve their offer.

“Upamecano can sign it, [taking him until] 2030 or 2031. There’s a release clause included from the summer of 2027. He can earn €20m euros gross per year and receive a big signing fee, together with his agent.

“But Bayern is waiting for weeks, they want a decision soon. But my opinion is he’s waiting for Liverpool, for Real Madrid.

“Liverpool is interested in Upamecano, we can confirm that.”

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, has also been able to verify that Liverpool are indeed interested in signing Upamecano.

However, sources tell us the Reds harbour concerns over the salary commitments it will take to hijack Bayern’s deal.

As Plettenberg mentioned, Upamecano has already verbally agreed a new contract worth €20m per season. That roughly to equates to a weekly wage of around £330,000-a-week.

That is even higher than the £300,000-a-week Man City are paying Guehi, and we all know what Liverpool thought of that after refusing to bid for the Englishman in January.

The difference with the Upamecano situation is that if Liverpool were to sign the Bayern man, it would be via free agency.

A transfer fee would therefore not have to be paid. If determined to bid for Guehi earlier this month, Liverpool would have had to have at the very least matched Man City’s offer, which totalled £30m including add-ons.

If Upamecano was brought to Anfield on wages in excess of £300,000-a-week, he’d slot in as the club’s third highest paid player behind only Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

In other news, a transfer insider has revealed what Liverpool plan to do with Virgil van Dijk in the summer after the Dutchman began to show signs of decline throughout the current campaign.

Elsewhere, Tottenham have been told they still have a significant chance of securing the signing of Andy Robertson this month amid strong claims the star remains keen to quit Liverpool with immediate effect

Finally, Jeremie Frimpong added to Liverpool’s lengthy injury list in defence on Wednesday night and Fabrizio Romano has delivered the goods on whether or not the Reds’ will sign a new right-back