Report: Liverpool interested in move to sign former Chelsea star | OneFootball

Liverpool Eye Fikayo Tomori as Defensive Search Intensifies

Liverpool have started asking the right question, what does it take to sign Fikayo Tomori? According to Tutto Juve, the Reds have made initial contact with AC Milan as they assess whether a deal for the England international is viable before the transfer deadline.

That, on its own, makes sense. Liverpool do not need to create drama around the centre-back position because the problem is obvious enough already. Ibrahima Konate has gone to Real Madrid after the expiry of his contract, Joe Gomez is set to miss the start of the season through injury, and Virgil van Dijk cannot be expected to carry the entire structure by himself for months on end. If you are Andoni Iraola, newly installed after Arne Slot’s dismissal in May, this is one area you address quickly.

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Fikayo Tomori Fits Liverpool Need

Tomori is not being framed here as a superstar signing, and that is probably why the link feels credible. He is a seasoned defender, still in his prime, with Premier League experience from his Chelsea days and enough top-level football behind him to step into a demanding environment. The source describes him as “formidable”, and while that may be a touch generous depending on your standards, he remains an athletic, front-foot defender who can cope with space and physical duels.

Liverpool’s current situation means they do not necessarily need a headline name. They need competence, availability and a player who would improve depth without turning the long-term squad plan upside down. Tomori ticks most of those boxes.

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AC Milan Contract Situation Could Matter

The other reason this report carries weight is Tomori’s contract status. He is into the final 12 months of his deal at Milan, which changes the conversation. Clubs become practical when the risk of losing a player for nothing comes into view. Milan may prefer to sell now if the fee is acceptable, and Liverpool are clearly trying to establish that number before deciding whether the move is worth pushing further.

This is not an advanced negotiation, at least not yet. It is the kind of early-stage market check smart clubs make all the time. Find out the asking price, test the appetite on wages, see how much room there is to negotiate, then decide if the target belongs near the top of the list.

Andoni Iraola Needs Certainty at Centre-Back

There is another layer to this. Liverpool have younger defensive options in the wider picture, including Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, though the latter is recovering from a serious knee injury. Iraola will want those pathways protected, but there is a difference between protecting development and exposing raw players too early. Throwing inexperienced defenders into a team with title expectations is poor planning.

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Tomori would offer something more useful than glamour, he would offer certainty. He has six England caps, was in Thomas Tuchel’s provisional 55-man World Cup pool earlier this year, and remains respected enough to be considered at international level even if he missed the final cut. That tells you where he sits, solid, credible, trusted.

For Liverpool, that may be exactly the point. This would not be a vanity purchase. It would be a practical response to a practical problem. Those are often the smarter deals.

Our View

From a worried Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this report feels logical, but it also highlights how exposed the squad has become at centre-back. Konate leaving on a free and ending up at Real Madrid is the sort of squad management failure that keeps coming back to hurt you. Gomez being unavailable at the start of the season only sharpens the concern.

Tomori would not excite every fan, and that is fine. Liverpool do not need excitement in this position, they need reliability. Van Dijk needs help, proper help, not another gamble or another youngster asked to grow up in real time. If Iraola wants to stabilise the team quickly, bringing in someone who knows the pace and physicality of English football feels sensible.

The worry is whether Liverpool are merely exploring or genuinely prepared to act. Too often clubs do the background work, like the price, then hesitate long enough for another option to disappear. If Milan are open to doing business because of the contract situation, Liverpool should be decisive. There is little value in waiting until the market gets tighter and more expensive.

Supporters will also wonder whether Tomori is the first choice or simply the most attainable choice. That matters, but not as much as getting somebody in. Right now, Liverpool cannot afford to be precious. They need a centre-back who can start matches, stay fit and reduce the burden on Van Dijk. Tomori may not be the dream signing, but he looks like the kind of sensible one that wins you points across a long season.

Source: Tutto Juve