Liverpool are reportedly among numerous Premier League clubs chasing the signature of one of the most sought-after young talents in Britain.
The Reds have an enviable track record for snapping up teenage prospects across the UK, with Harvey Elliott, Ben Gannon-Doak, Fabio Carvalho, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha amond the standout examples.
The Anfield hierarchy now appear to have their sights set on a prodigious talent who, despite playing in League One, could conceivably be playing at the World Cup next summer.
Liverpool join the race to sign Dylan Lawlor
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have ‘entered the frame’ for Cardiff City defender Dylan Lawlor, who’s also being pursued by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and both Manchester clubs, while he even has interest from Bundesliga trio Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
Those suitors are understood to have been thoroughly impressed by the 19-year-old’s maturity despite his inexperience in senior football, although he has been capped three times by Wales.
Brian Barry-Murphy’s side are ‘well aware’ of the interest in the teenage centre-back, but they don’t intend to sell him in January as they target an immediate return to the Championship, with the Bluebirds currently top of League One.
Liverpool are among numerous clubs chasing the signature of Wales defender Dylan Lawlor
(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Lawlor might be one for the future at Liverpool
Lawlor has played just 19 senior career games, the bulk of those in the third tier of English football, so he’d be very much a player for the future at Liverpool rather than an immediate starter.
However, he’s made a glowing impression in a Wales shirt, with manager Craig Bellamy (who had two spells at Anfield in his playing days) saying that he was ‘beyond impressed‘ by the youngster on his international debut in September.
An analysis from ScoutedFbl‘s Llew Davies described him as a ‘tall and strapping’ centre-back with a strong physique and an ability to ‘cover ground, battle in contact and challenge in the air’, summarising: ‘If I could assemble a centre-back from scratch, it would look similar to Lawlor’.
Liverpool still need a more seasoned central defender in January (such as Marc Guehi) to bulk up their options in that area of the pitch, although the Cardiff teenager certainly seems like a prospect worth pursuing with a view to the long-term.
His progress in 2026 should be fascinating to watch, especially if Wales can battle through the World Cup play-offs to earn a place at the finals next summer.
You can watch Slot’s full pre-Sunderland press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: