21-year-old Bundesliga sensation is Liverpool's IDEAL Van Dijk successor | OneFootball

Liverpool will soon be facing the prospect of renewing their centre-back department.

Although Virgil van Dijk remains one of the best defenders in the game, the Dutchman is now 34 and only under contract until 2027. Therefore a long-term replacement will need to be sourced.

Then there’s the situation of Ibrahima Konate. With the Frenchman out of contract in 2026 and attracting the interests of Real Madrid he could be leaving at the end of the season if no new deal is agreed.

The other senior fit option is Joe Gomez - and it’s been reported that the Anfield club would be keen to offload the England man if the fee was right. He too is out of contract in 2027.

Liverpool assessing potential centre-back recruits

Richard Hughes signed Giovanni Leoni over the summer in a £26m deal from Parma but the 18-year-old suffered a season-ending injury on debut.

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He came in after the loss of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen in a £30m deal - meaning the centre-back situation for Arne Slot is very much in flux.

Liverpool have been linked with plenty of performers in the position - with Marc Guehi and Dayot Upamecano named as potential free options.

Then there’s Ronald Araujo, Sven Botman and Nico Schlotterbeck to name just a few. But there remains the option of Liverpool springing a deal for an emerging talent - rather than one who has already reached the top.

Liverpool like Koulierakis

We brought you news back in spring that Reds recruiters were keen on Konstantinos Koulierakis - a 21-year-old left-sided defender from Wolfsburg.

Since joining from PAOK in 2024 he has gone on to establish himself as one of the most promising defenders in the Bundesliga.

Now it’s been reported by TBR Football that Liverpool are still keeping tabs on the Greece international - facing down interest from Tottenham for the prospect.

© IMAGO - Konstantinos Koulierakis Liverpool

Koulierakis a potential top-five centre-back

“Tottenham Hotspur have been keeping close tabs on Wolfsburg defender Konstantinos Koulierakis, along with Liverpool,” the report reads.

“The youngster is now attracting interest from the Premier League, along with other leagues, and he could be in for a possible move in January.”

It’s believed that Liverpool view the 18-time Greece international as a potential top-five centre-back in Europe - with his passing over distance in particular admired. Let’s wait and see if this deal gains any more momentum.