Liverpool are said to be eyeing a move for Aston Villa and England centre-back Ezri Konsa in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.
The Reds have been linked with a host of centre-backs to add depth to their defence, with Manchester City veteran John Stones one player mentioned.
It looks as though Liverpool are set to miss out on the signing of the 32-year-old, however, with the reliable David Ornstein saying a move to Inter Milan is close:
“Inter Milan in negotiations to sign John Stones as free agent. 32yo centre-back available after leaving MCFC+ talks between England int’l & Interadvancing – on track to be done by end of week.”
But now, TEAMtalk‘s Bailey has taken to X to name Konsa as another option, reporting it before Ornstein made his claim regarding Stones’ next destination this summer:
“Liverpool are actively exploring the market for an experienced centre-back after Andoni Iraola made it clear he wants greater defensive depth before the new season gets underway,@TEAMtalkunderstands. John Stones and Ezri Konsa are both of interest.”
Ezri Konsa ticks plenty of boxes for Liverpool
There is plenty to like about Liverpool signing Konsa this summer, as long as Villa don’t demand an extortionate amount of money for his signature.
The 28-year-old has proven himself in the Premier League and in Europe over a sustained period, and started seven games for England at the World Cup, while Ollie Watkins rates him very highly, saying:
“I think Ezri is just so underrated. It’s mad how under the radar he goes and for so many years he has been. I think he’s one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. People don’t look at that straight away. I don’t know if it’s profile around Villa and stuff like that. People always look at the top teams. But defensively, he hardly puts a foot wrong.”
Konsa wouldn’t necessarily be an elite long-term signing to lead Liverpool’s defence well into the future, but he would be a safe pair of hands who can also do a job at right-back.
The Reds are lacking a defender in his peak years, with Virgil van Dijk now 35, and Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni both youngsters, but Konsa falls into that bracket.
Henry is an experienced football writer with a huge passion and knowledge of Liverpool.
He is also a main contributor for This Is Anfield, one of the world's biggest Reds-related sites, where he writes features and news, and covers matchday content.
Henry has written articles for the Times and the Guardian, too, as well as featured on the radio on BBC Radio 5 Live and LBC. He has accumulated over 30,000 followers on Twitter/X.