Six-time UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool have their eyes set on Newcastle United defender Sven Botman as a replacement for French centre-back Ibrahima Konate.
The Reds are considering a defensive rejig ahead of next season, with the long-term future of their main defensive pairing of Virgil Van Dijk and Konate currently covered under clouds of uncertainty.
Virgil Van Dijk turns 35 in July and is approaching the final 12 months of his current contract at Anfield as he enters into the twilight of his career, while Konate, still only 26 years old, looks increasingly likely to bring down the curtains on his Liverpool career when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The reigning Premier League champions have already moved to strengthen their defensive ranks in the January transfer window, edging out competition from Chelsea to land the signature of Jeremy Jacquet, who will arrive from French Ligue 1 side Rennes in the summer.
However, they are still scanning the market for more defensive reinforcements. As per Sports Boom, Arne Slot’s side will monitor Botman’s situation at Newcastle United until the end of the season before deciding whether to make a move for the Dutch defender.
Botman is currently contracted to Newcastle United until the summer of 2030, and the Magpies will be reluctant to lose yet another important asset to a direct rival (they lost Alexander Isak to the Reds last summer), so breaking him out of that commitment could prove a tricky task for Liverpool.
