Three centre-backs Liverpool could pursue this summer including Fiorentina star | OneFootball

Liverpool could sign a new central defender during the ongoing transfer window.

The Reds have had a productive summer with four high-profile signings under manager Arne Slot.

They started their spending spree with the acquisition of Jeremie Frimpong and have since added Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike to their squad.

The club are also actively looking into a deal for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, but as things stand, they are not close to signing the Sweden ace.

Alongside a striker, the Reds may have to recruit another centre-back, considering they have just three specialist options in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez in the first-team squad.

Gomez is presently sidelined with a minor injury, while Konate has also been injury-prone in the past. The club can’t afford to finish the transfer window without recruiting another top-class centre-back.

Slot has talked up the possibility of playing Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo or Andy Robertson at the back, but the Reds clearly need more quality in the department next season.

Let’s have a look at three possible centre-back options.

Marc Guehi – Crystal Palace

It is widely known that Liverpool are keen admirers of Guehi, who has entered the last year of his Palace contract. However, they have yet to persuade the Eagles to accept a suitable fee.

The Reds are willing to pay around £40 million for the England international, but the FA Cup holders seem adamant that their captain won’t be leaving for less than £50m this summer.

Guehi would be a fabulous recruit for the Merseyside giants. He won almost 60 percent of his duels last season with an average of more than four clearances and four recoveries.

The Chelsea graduate also won almost two tackles per outing. He is vastly experienced in the Premier League and could seamlessly fit into the manager’s plans next season.

With Konate yet to commit to a new deal beyond June 2026, the door is open for Guehi to cement himself as a regular starter alongside Van Dijk if the stand-off continues.

Liverpool must be quick in their pursuit of Guehi, as Palace could turn down the opportunity to offload their skipper if they can’t find a suitable replacement in the transfer market.

Pietro Comuzzo – Fiorentina

The 20-year-old made a big impression during his breakthrough season at La Viola. He managed 33 appearances in the Italian top-flight, with 24 of those from the starting XI.

Similar to Guehi, Comuzzo won 60 percent of his ground and aerial duels. The youngster also caught the eye with his recoveries, tackling and ability to clear his lines when required.

The Italian had a slightly higher passing accuracy compared to Guehi (86 to 84 percent). He has immense potential, and the Reds could bring him into their squad as a possible understudy.

Fiorentina turned down an offer of £26m with bonuses from Napoli at the start of the year. The Florence outfit are, however, open to sanctioning his summer departure for around £34m.

The club could face competition from Manchester United and Nottingham Forest for his services. The duo have been tracking the defender’s progress from the beginning of pre-season.

Nathan Collins – Brentford

Collins has made steady progress over the past few years in the Premier League. The 24-year-old has now established himself as a key player for the Bees, but could still be on the move.

The Bees have already offloaded goalkeeper Mark Flekken and winger Bryan Mbeumo, while it appears only a matter of time before striker Yoane Wissa moves to Newcastle United.

Collins could also be tempted to jump ship before the deadline. Brentford are known as a selling club and are unlikely to block his departure if they receive a fee close to their valuation.

The Republic of Ireland international has a strong aerial presence and won more than three aerials per game last season. He was also effective with his recoveries and clearances.

Collins completed 86 percent of his passes in the English top-flight. This statistic should obviously improve with the Reds, who command vastly more possession than the Bees in the league.

The centre-back was ever-present for Brentford last season. A package of £40-45m could seriously test the Bees’ resolve in keeping him. Convincing Collins won’t be a difficult task for the Reds.