Former Cameroon defender Joel Matip, who grew up in Schalke’s lower divisions, moved to Anfield in 2016 and was part of the final line until last season. He made 201 appearances, despite regular competition from Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.
In addition, Virgil Van Dijk is now 33 years old and it is essential to secure a replacement for the defensive leader. Various players such as Goncalo Inácio, Marc Guehi, Riccardo Calafiori and Leny Yoro have emerged at the forefront, but no one has been acquired at the moment.
According to international media outlet Caught Offside, one of the targets is Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, but it seems Liverpool will have to make an offer as high as £58.9 million.
He made his big breakthrough in Turin and stepped up to Juventus in 2022. He has made 83 appearances for the club, using his strong physicality to contain opposition attacks. He has also pitched for the Brazilian national team in five games, and the 27-year-old centre-back has developed into one of the top defenders in Europe.
He is under contract until 2028, but Liverpool are unlikely to show interest in a player in his late 20s. Unless, like Japan midfielder Wataru Endo, the transfer fee is cheaper than he is capable of, he should not be a target for the Reds, whose policy is to reinforce at the right value.
A fee close to £60 million, which is more than Italian defender Calafiori, is clearly overvalued. It seems unlikely that the Brazilian defender will move to another club or league this summer, but what then?