Liverpool have arguably the world’s best defensive partnership in Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, and both men have been fantastic this season with the Reds sitting firmly in first place in the Premier League.
If it weren’t for Barcelona’s record numbers in attack, more and more people around the world would be talking about Liverpool as the Champions League favorites, as new manager Arne Slot has gotten the most out of his personnel.
Although Liverpool are set with their starters at center back and aren’t desperate for any additions, they have been wisely staying plugged in for young central defenders who could one day step into Van Dijk’s massive shoes.
This past summer, Liverpool were among the elite teams interested in teenage phenom Leny Yoro, but they ultimately decided not to fork over 60 million euros for a player on an expiring contract, watching instead as Premier League rivals Manchester United took the plunge.
For significantly less than that, Liverpool could sign another starting-caliber center back to be their third man behind Konate and Van Dijk, as Sevilla-based outlet Estadio Deportivo’s Aitor Torvisco reports that the Reds and Newcastle are two teams highly interested in Sevilla star center back Loic Bade.
The Frenchman is one of the most underrated players in world football and is a legitimate top-class center back who is as good as any player in La Liga at the position, including Barcelona and Real Madrid stars like Eder Militao and Pau Cubarsi.
Alongside Sergio Ramos, Bade formed one of the best tandems in European football, keeping Sevilla afloat and even leading them to a 2023 Europa League triumph over Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Still only 24 years old, Bade has a 60 million euro release clause and is valued highly by the historic Spanish club, because he is by far their most important player. But with Sevilla slipping in status and needing funds, they could be open to selling Bade at a discounted rate.
Enter Liverpool, who are always good for a smart bargain on the transfer market and value the center back position highly. Bade is a good ball-playing defender who is intelligent at covering and no-nonsense in his own box.
If Liverpool can get Bade as low as half price, they should be all over this deal. They don’t need to spend much on a center back, but Bade is a good market opportunity if Sevilla slide further and have to firesell the 24-year-old defender.
