Joel Matip has left Liverpool following the expiry of his contract. With 33-year-old defender Virgil van Dijk also set to leave the club at the end of his career, the club is looking for a new centre-back to replace the former Liverpool man.
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool have made enquiries about a possible move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Ivory Coast defender Odilon Kossounou.
Kossounou made 34 appearances for Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga crown last season after an unbeaten run, and was used in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Nigeria in the winter of 2024, but was a reserve in the Europa League final.
The 23-year-old centre-back is preparing to leave Germany and his club is open to selling him if the right offer arrives; they are asking between 40 and 45 million euros and Liverpool should be aware of the terms.
21-year-old defender Jarell Quansah has performed well and has become a regular part of the team. Likewise, new manager Arne Slot has high hopes for 22-year-old defender Sepp van den Berg, who performed very well on loan, and may not move to reinforce him depending on his condition in pre-season.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is known to be a big fan of the player, and it is not out of the question that the Ivory Coast defender could be tipped for a generational change in an ageing defence.
Will Liverpool seriously go for the player?