Liverpool are gearing themselves up for a massively busy summer, with the Anfield outfit already making moves for some players.
Jeremie Frimpong was the first player welcomed to Anfield, with Armin Pecsi not too far behind him.
Frimpong has already filled one of the priority positions Arne Slot needed to cover, with the Dutchman being able to play at right back and right wing.
Now, however, their attention seems to have turned towards their attack, with Florian Wirtz’s move from Bayer Leverkusen now edging closer.
Florian Wirtz signals to a teammate during Germany's UEFA Nations League semi-final with Portugal
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
However, there was one player that the Reds have already missed out on, which could end up hurting them in the future.
Pat Nevin believes Dean Huijsen could become the next Virgil Van Dijk
One player that was heavily linked with an Anfield switch before the transfer window opened was Dean Huijsen.
The Spaniard had a breakout season with Bournemouth in the 2024-25 season and was highly sought after across the globe.
In the end, Huijsen chose to make the switch to Real Madrid, which left Liverpool without their main target for centre back.
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And, while speaking to BBC Sport, Pat Nevin gave his verdict on the Reds missing out on the centre-back and also shared his thoughts on how good he could potentially become.
“There was not too much fanfare following Dean Huijsen’s £50million move from Bournemouth to Real Madrid, but it is hard to imagine any other transferred player having the same long-term impact,” he said.
“Liverpool might have been tempted by him as the eventual replacement for Virgil van Dijk, but then Huijsen was unlikely to turn down Real, having already elected to represent Spain over his birth nation, the Netherlands.
“The 20-year-old is a class act. It is very unusual for such a young centre-back to be so assured and mature.
“My suspicion has always been that he will be an enduring world star if he steers clear of major injuries.”
Dean Huijsen pictured celebrating during Bournemouth's game against Fulham.
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Who Liverpool could target at centre-back as the summer transfer window goes on
Now that the transfer of Huijsen is off the table, Slot will no doubt be looking at the other options he has on the table.
Indeed, Liverpool do already have Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah available to them.
However, recent rumours have linked Quansah with a move to either Borussia Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen due to the lack of playing time Slot gave him in the 2024-25 campaign.
Gomez’s reliability also isn’t the best, as the Englishman spent the vast majority of the campaign sidelined due to injury.
So, it’s not a surprise to see players such as Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande being linked with an Anfield switch.
Player Games Goals Assists
Ousmane Diomande 46 2 1
Dean Huijsen 36 3 1
The 2024-25 seasons of Ousmane Diomande and Dean Huijsen in numbers.
The Ivory Coast international would be available for a fee worth around £50million, which is the same as what Huijsen would have cost.
He’s also still only 21 years old, so he has plenty of room to grow.
As mentioned, if Gomez or Quansah are sold on this summer, don’t be surprised if you see Diomande’s name consistently getting linked with a Liverpool move.
That is, especially after the form he’s shown in the Liga Portugal this season.