Liverpool are clearly going to be on the hunt for a new centre-back over the next couple of months.
At the moment, Arne Slot only has three senior centre-backs among his ranks thanks to the recent sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.
And, even though Wataru Endo could be used as the Reds’ fourth-choice defender, the fact that Joe Gomez is unreliable doesn’t do Liverpool any favours.
This is why it didn’t come as much of a surprise to see several centre-backs being linked with an Anfield switch over the last few weeks.
Arne Slot, Manger of Liverpool, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
And, while the Merseyside outfit may have a couple of options on the table, there’s one that stands out from the rest regarding who’s the best player to sign.
Liverpool have been watching the progression of Konstantinos Koulierakis this season
Konstantinos Koulierakis has been linked with a move away from Wolfsburg for some time now.
In fact, Liverpool have even been linked with a move for Koulierakis in the past, with the Reds looking for a young prospect to fill the void that Quansah has left behind.
And, as per a fresh report from journalist David Lynch, it seems like Liverpool are stepping up their interest in the 21-year-old again.
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This comes after Liverpool have ‘watched’ the Greek international in their hunt for a new centre-back who has ‘room to grow.’
Wolfsburg defender, Konstantinos Koulierakis.
Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
Indeed, Giovanni Leoni is another option that Liverpool could explore, but with his preferred destination being Italy, a deal could be hard to agree upon.
Why Konstantinos Koulierakis would be the best choice for Liverpool this summer
At the moment, Marc Guehi and Leoni are the two centre-backs who feel like the most likely players to make a move to Liverpool this summer.
However, with Koulierakis just sitting there, it’s hard to see why Slot would want to go for either of them.
Koulierakis has been described as ‘exceptionally aggressive‘ during his time in the Bundesliga, and while this may not sound ideal, in the Premier League, aggression is sometimes the only way to prove your worth.
That is, especially since he’d still be just 21 years old if he were to arrive.
Indeed, Guehi already has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt and would fit straight into Liverpool’s first-team squad, but with his fee sitting at around £40million, it feels a bit steep, especially since he only has a year left on his current deal.
Player Games Played Clean Sheets Aerial Duels Won
Marc Guehi 44 16 90
Giovanni Leoni 17 1 17
Konstantios Koulierakis 33 7 67
A selection of stats from the 2024-25 season for Marc Guehi, Giovanni Leoni and Konstantinos Koulierakis (Courtesy of Sofascore).
Of course, only time will tell what the future has in store, but with Koulierakis already having plenty of experience in the Bundesliga and still being just 21 years old, he seems like the best option of the three.