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Liverpool 'keeping tabs' on £65m-rated centre-back with Chelsea and Manchester City

Arne Slotplaceholder image

Arne Slot | Getty Images

Liverpool will get the opportunity to bolster their squad in the January transfer window next month

Liverpool are back in action on 27th December with a home clash against struggling Wolves. Their upcoming opponents are winless this season and are bottom of the league. The Reds won 2-1 away at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night so will be in confident mood.

Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike got their goals against Spurs. Arne Slot’s side have now risen up to 5th place in the Premier League table after their latest victory. They are only behind Chelsea in 4th on goal difference.

Liverpool keen on Alessandro Bastoni

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are ‘keeping tabs’ on Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni. Chelsea and Manchester City have also been credited with an interest along with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG. The report adds that his price tag is around the £65million mark.

Bastoni, who is an Italy international with 41 caps to his name, has been on the books of his current club since 2017. He has made 278 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A giants to date and has scored seven goals from the back. His contract at the San Siro expires in June 2028 meaning he still has a few years left to run down still.

The centre-back started his career at Atalanta and rose up through their academy. He was a regular at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team as a teenager. Inter then lured him away and he hasn’t looked back since.

Would Alessandro Bastoni suit Liverpool?

Bastoni has proved himself in the top flight in Italy and should now test himself in a new country. Liverpool could see him as someone to strengthen their backline. If he joined, he would give them another option to pick from in defence.

Virgil van Dijk sees his deal expire in 2027 so the Reds need to start thinking about potential long-term replacements. At the age of 34, he isn’t getting any younger. Ibrahima Konate is due to become a free agent next year as things stand too.

Slot was pleased with Liverpool’s victory over Spurs. His side are pushing for the Champions League again and he has said: “Of course we are happy with that. But when we started the season, it wasn't as if I was thrilled and completely happy when we were top four. We're always aiming for the best possible and, after a very good start we had, we were disappointed with the run of results we had afterwards. But I think you've said it, we are now maybe on equal points for top four, I don't exactly know.

“But don't forget, in the Champions League we've done quite well with a very difficult draw. I see a lot of teams that hardly have a point but we haven't faced them. So, I think it's never been as bad as people said, but it's also true that we are definitely not perfect yet. But we knew this when we made so many changes in the summer that it would take time.”

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