Liverpool have been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Illia Zabarnyi, and now reliable journalist David Lynch has talked up the signing.
The Ukrainian was a formidable player for Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, forging a strong centre-back partnership with Dean Huijsen on the south coast.
Zabarnyi has since joined PSG, however, winning the Champions League last season and coming on in the final against Arsenal, but a lack of football means a move away could make sense this summer.
Speaking to The Redmen TV [via TEAMtalk], Lynch claimed that he could see the 23-year-old sealing a switch to Liverpool, with sporting director Richard Hughes potentially proving key:
“I think it’s one of those that you could see legs in. Richard Hughes will know him from his time at Bournemouth and will know everything about the player. Of course, the manager will like him as well.
“If PSG are in a situation where they think, ‘OK, this hasn’t quite worked out; we’re willing to do a cut-price deal’, that’s the sort of thing Liverpool tend to be all over. You think about them taking Ryan Gravenberch for a cut-price fee from Bayern.
“It didn’t work for him there, but he came to Liverpool, and it definitely did work. They’ve shown previously that they’re in the market for those kinds of signings, so for me, that one makes a lot more sense and is one that you could potentially see legs in.”
Illia Zabarnyi: An ideal defensive addition for Liverpool?
There are clear positives to Liverpool signing Zabarnyi, not least that Iraola knows him inside out as a player and that he has proven himself in the Premier League.
He is already a 58-cap Ukraine international, despite still only being 23, so he is a top-level option who would provide good competition for Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Granted, Zabarnyi’s move to PSG hasn’t worked out, but he has been hailed as “incredible” by Lucas Beraldo, and Iraola may feel he could be perfect for Liverpool.
A new centre-back is a must for the Reds in the summer transfer window, following the exit of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid, and they could do far worse than bringing in Zabarnyi.