Joel Matip’s contract expires at the end of the season, and negotiations for an extension have not yet emerged. Virgil van Dijk, another center back, has regained his main form, but will be 33 years old next year, so the team is targeting young defenders who can compete regularly in the medium to long term.
Furthermore, Matip is confirmed to be out for a long time, and Kostas Tsimikas will also be off the bench for a while. As a result, Joe Gomez, who can play in all of the final lines, is expected to play more games at left back, and the club is likely to try to acquire a new center back this winter.
According to The Mirror, Liverpool has turned its attention back to Fluminense, which won the Copa Libertadores, and has made contact with the club for Nino, a 26-year-old defender who captains the club, rather than Andre, a 22-year-old midfielder who was of interest in the summer.
The Brazilian center back, who is under contract until June 2024, has a wealth of experience in the country, having scored 12 goals and assisted five in 239 games for Fluminense, and has continued to rapidly improve his reputation recently, having been selected for the Brazilian national team in November 2023.
Although he suffered a heavy defeat against Manchester City in the Club World Cup, it is time for him to move up to Europe. With a transfer fee likely to be kept low, he could be a valuable asset to the team in terms of center back numbers.
However, with little experience on the European stage and never much playing time in the full national team, it is unlikely that Liverpool will make any concrete moves. He is also not the left-handed center back they were targeting in the summer, which would only be a compromise.
It seems unlikely that Liverpool will make a move for the 26-year-old center back, but with the names of other targets being floated, a new defender could be added to the mix.