Report: Liverpool have scouted potential Konate replacement; he’d be open to joining the Reds

Liverpool signed a centre-back from a Serie A club last month, and reports suggest they may be planning to do the same in 2026.

On the day of the Reds’ Premier League opener against Bournemouth in August, the Merseysiders confirmed the signing of Giovanni Leoni from Parma for a reported £26m (The Times).

The 18-year-old could viably make his LFC debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup tomorrow night, with first-choice pairing Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate likely to be rested.

There remains considerable doubt as to whether the latter will remain at Anfield beyond the expiry of his contract next summer, with the Frenchman continuing to be linked with a potential move to Real Madrid in the coming months.

Liverpool scouts have watched Gleison Bremer

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are among the clubs to have scouted Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer, who could be at the centre of a three-way transfer battle also involving Manchester United and Chelsea.

Although the Brazilian defender is contracted to the Bianconeri until 2029, the report claims that ‘the lure of a move to England could turn his head’ as he may seek the opportunity to ‘elevate both his career and financial standing’.

The Turin club are braced for the Premier League trio to test their resolve for the 28-year-old in the next few months and ‘will work hard to ensure’ that his ‘situation is secure’ going into 2026.

Bremer hailed as a ‘leader’, but there may be some concerns for Liverpool

If Liverpool are unable to agree a new contract with Konate and he departs next year, there could be a significant changing of the guard at centre-back in the foreseeable future, with Van Dijk’s current deal taking him to June 2027, when he’ll be on the cusp of his 36th birthday.

Rumours persist over the possibility of going back in for Marc Guehi after the Reds’ deadline day move for the England defender was nuked by Crystal Palace, but could Richard Hughes possibly utilise his Serie A connections to try and arrange a deal for Bremer as well?

Although TEAMtalk‘s report describes the Juventus man as a ‘leader’ who combines ‘aerial dominance with calm distribution’, statistics from FBref would suggest otherwise – in the last 12 months, he ranks in the bottom 36% of centre-backs in Europe’s five main leagues for aerial duels won and pass completion per 90 minutes.

Those figures are significantly mitigated by an ACL injury which sidelined him for the majority of last season, although Liverpool would be wise to consider how likely he is to bounce back from that major layoff and rediscover his previous heights.

They might take encouragement from how Van Dijk recovered from a similar body blow at a near-identical age earlier this decade, and Arne Slot might view Bremer as an ideal experienced head to partner Leoni in future seasons at Anfield.

That said, our preference would be for the Reds’ hierarchy to agree a new contract with Konate to keep him on Merseyside while he’s in the prime of his career.

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