Arne Slot has already made a fair few changes to his Liverpool squad, with the Dutchman looking to build on his successes from the 2024-25 campaign.
Nobody expected Liverpool to finish at the top of the table by the end of the season, never mind be as dominant as they were.
However, despite the Reds’ dominance, there were still a few areas among their ranks that could have done with upgrading.
Which is why it isn’t a surprise to see Liverpool being linked with a new player every day as they look to retain their Premier League title next term.
One area they’re likely to strengthen is their centre-backs.
Jarell Quansah looks to be on his way out, and due to the injury history of Joe Gomez, he can’t be relied upon.
To make matters worse, Ibrahima Konate hasn’t yet extended his stay at Anfield with the Frenchman’s contract set to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Ibrahima Konate of France on the ball during the UEFA Nations League semi-final against Spain.
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
So, with this in mind, the fact that multiple centre-backs have already been linked with Liverpool makes it feel as if a new defender will be one of the next players Slot adds to his ranks, after Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez, of course.
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Arne Slot may have found his perfect centre-back target in Jorrel Hato
Jorrel Hato’s name has been bounced around most of the Premier League’s big six over the last year or so.
The Dutchman is a centre-back by trade but has been deployed as a left-back if and when needed.
Rumours have recently surfaced regarding the future of the defender, with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal also interested in acquiring his services.
And, while speaking on The Transfers Podcast, journalist Duncan Castles gave his verdict on Hato’s potential move to Merseyside.
“I think this makes a huge amount of sense for Liverpool because we know they want to reinforce at centre-back, but they probably can’t say to Hato that he’ll be a starter but he will get some time in that position,” he said.
“But they also can give him time at left-back where there’s quite a fluid situation, with Kerkez expected to come in and reports of Robertson going to Atletico Madrid.
“Liverpool can then push to bring Hato in and have him as a deputy centre-back or left-back, but it will not be a cheap deal.”
Why Jorrel Hato would be a smart player for Arne Slot to pursue
As mentioned by Castles, Hato’s versatility is one of the main things that sets him apart from the other centre-back options that are on the market.
Over the last few weeks, players such as Ousmane Diomande, Tomas Araujo and Marc Guehi have all been linked with Liverpool transfers.
Granted, all would be good options for Liverpool to go after, but versatility is the thing that Hato has over the other three.
In this day and age, versatility is key to the way teams play as managers want to keep tight-knit squads to help relationships blossom between their players.
Liverpool's players and staff celebrating their Premier League title win.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
But, when you bring someone in who can only play in one position, it hurts the chances of the team doing well if things such as injuries occur.
At the end of the day, it’s unclear what the Liverpool manager will end up doing, but if he manages to bring in all the players he wants to this summer, the Reds will be a force to be reckoned with once again.