Liverpool will soon have to move on from Virgil van Dijk.
The legendary centre-back was signed for £75m back in 2018 from Southampton – and has gone on to cement his place in club history.
The Premier League title-winning captain has blossomed into the best defender in the world throughout his time at Anfield – and won every major honour in the game.
But the Netherlands’ international skipper is about to turn 35. And – at the end of the 2025/26 season – will have only one year to run on his contract.
Van Dijk commands £400k per week on his current deal and it would be a surprise if talks were instigated about a new agreement.
Liverpool now chasing two centre-back deals
Therefore a left-sided, high-quality centre-back is a necessity for Richard Hughes and Arne Slot before the end of next season.
The Reds have taken steps to improve their central defensive options with the acquisitions of Giovanni Leoni, Jeremy Jacquet and Mor Talla Ndiaye.
But those youngsters are still quite short on top-level experience. That’s why links with more seasoned options make sense.
Areport in Football Insider now claims that the centre-back shortlist has narrowed to just two names.
Liverpool have put Nico Schlotterbeck on the list – with the Borussia Dortmund centre-back having recently extended his contract beyond 2027.
Liverpool want Schlotterbeck or Bastoni
That should ensure a decent fee is banked for the 26-year-old Germany international – whose command of a backline and progressive passing has impressed Reds’ recruiters.
The other name in the frame for an Anfield summer arrival is Alessandro Bastoni. Recently crowned an Italian Serie A winner with Inter Milan the 27-year-old could be set for the next step in his career.
The Italy international is under contract until 2028 and also wanted by Barcelona –meaning Liverpool will have a job on their hands convincing him to move to the Premier League.
“Liverpool have Schlotterbeck and Bastoni on their list of potential successors in his left-sided centre-back position,” the report reads.
Both Schlotterbeck and Bastoni have the versatility to play in either a back four or a back three – suggesting that Slot could change formation if needs be when working with the new personnel at the back.
Liverpool have got question marks over other senior defensive options in the shape of Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate.
Gomez, 28, is out of contract in 2027 and may be sold for some transfer income this summer. Konate – meanwhile – still hasn’t put pen to paper on a new contract that was thought to be close to completion only a couple of weeks ago.
