Liverpool is approaching the time when center backs Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk will both be 32 years old and will have to find replacements. Already regulars Ibrahima Konate and others such as Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah will be gunning for the position.
Liverpool is in pursuit of a left-handed center back, as the club has begun the process of acquiring England defender Levi Colwill, who renewed his contract with Chelsea this summer.
Meanwhile, they are also interested in a young right-handed defender, and 19-year-old Benfica defender Antonio Silva is rumored to be one of the candidates.
According to the Daily Mail, Premier League rivals Manchester United are interested in Portuguese defender Antonio Silva, who has also been speculated to be linked to Liverpool, and could make a move for him in the January transfer window.
Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw are out, and Raphael Varane is already 30 years old. With no hope for Harry Maguire and no choice but to bring in 35-year-old defender Jonny Evans, the acquisition of a promising mid- to long-term prospect can only be a positive for the team.
The 19-year-old center back, who is said to have a contract termination fee of £88 million, has played 52 games for Benfica’s top team despite being in his teens. He has also pitched for the Portuguese national team in three games, and the player’s future is very bright.
Liverpool’s chances of acquiring the right-handed center back seem slim, but with all the big clubs in Europe looking at him, he could be a contender, depending on the situation.
However, the fact remains that the transfer fee is a bottleneck, and unless Benfica agrees to a discount, it is unlikely that a concrete offer will be made.
After all, the priority is a left-handed center back, and it will be interesting to see who Liverpool will acquire this winter or next summer.