Liverpool are reportedly interested in Inter Milan duo Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni ahead of the summer window.
This comes from Italian publication Leggo, who suggest a number of Premier League outfits are keeping an eye on the defensive duo, both of whom form part of Antonio Conte’s three-man backline.
Prior rumours had suggested that the Reds’ interest may have extended to fellow centre-back partner Milan Skriniar, however, it would seem any interest (if it existed in the first place) has since dissipated.
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A quality centre-half in the upcoming transfer window must be considered a priority; if reports are to be believed, Ibrahima Konate will be the man to bolster our options going forward.
As brilliant a first purchase as the Frenchman would be, however, if the club truly wishes to prevent a reoccurrence of the injury crisis that effectively ended our season before the turn of the year, there’s a strong argument for going all out for another quality centre-half.
Or, at the very least, one who’s likely to become ‘quality’ in the near future.
Considering the profile of players Jurgen Klopp usually goes for, Alessandro Bastoni (the youngest of Conte’s defensive trio) would certainly fit the bill, with the German unlikely to bring an older defender in De Vrij (29) in unless as a potential direct replacement for Joel Matip.
With two years remaining on his current contract, not to mention the financial concerns plaguing Europe, there’s a possibility the player could be snatched from Milan for a relatively reasonable fee – if Ozan Kabak isn’t preferred for a potentially more palatable £18m.