Liverpool are believed to be tracking the ‘evolution’ of Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap.
The 20-year-old was signed by Saints for £9m from the Bundesliga’s VFL Bochum earlier this summer and his impressive start to the campaign has earned him a full call-up to the German squad for upcoming internationals.
Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also rumored to be interested in the Paris-born defender, according to Transfers (via Football 365).
Jurgen Klopp has been labeled a ‘fan’ of the central defender according to the report and the south coast side will fear the prospect of the Reds targeting them for another of their best players, just as Liverpool did when they paid £75m for the services of Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
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The Merseysiders have struck a number of deals with Southampton in recent years with the likes of Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Ricky Lambert all also leaving St. Mary’s for Anfield.
Klopp has a number of decent options in central defense at the moment with Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate regularly battling to partner van Dijk at the back, while Joe Gomez signed a new long-term deal with the club earlier this year. summer.
Our No. 4 is now 31 years old, while the winner of Tuesday night’s game against Ajax is also 30 years old.
Although the Netherlands captain shows no signs of ageing, Bella-Kotchap could act as a long-term replacement for van Dijk and could follow in his footsteps by leaving the Saints for Liverpool.
Strengthening the midfield is believed to be the club’s top priority, whether it be in January or at the end of the season, but if Bella-Kotchap continues to perform well, then Klopp may well consider a move for the youngster in the near future.
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