Joel Matip, a 32-year-old defender who has been a long-time supporter of the final line at Anfield, has left the club at the end of the season.Liverpool will accelerate their search for a new centre-back this summer, with Sporting defender Goncalo Inácio and Frankfurt defender William Pacho among the top candidates.
Priority should be given to left-handed centre-backs, defenders who can play a type of ball out that is not present in the current squad. Various players have also emerged on the list, including Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande and Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou, although right-backs are less of a priority.
According to Fichajes, Liverpool’s interest in Benfica defender Antonio Silva, who has been rumoured on several occasions, continues, and the 20-year-old centre-back, whose transfer fee is said to exceed €100 million, has emerged as the main target.
The paper also reports that Arsenal and Manchester United are also interested and are listed as main contenders as well.
After being promoted to the first team in 2022, he made 94 appearances for the club, despite being only 20 years old. He is a promising centre-back with a history of selection for the Portuguese national team in November of the same year. He has the potential to be a top player not only in Portugal but also in Europe.
He is a 20-year-old defender who can be expected to play for any club for the next ten years, so there is a good chance that he could become a regular if he joins Liverpool. However, they can’t afford to spend €100 million on him and it seems unlikely that a transfer will ever happen.