**Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly keeping track of 20-year-old centre-back Finn Jeltsch, although Liverpool are not expected to sign any more defenders this summer.**
Ibrahima Konate officially left the club on 1 July to complete a free transfer to Real Madrid. The move came after contract talks broke down between the club and his agents.
Jeremy Jacquet joined the club on the same day Konate’s deal with Liverpool officially expired, although he was signed in January, with his £60m move from Rennes deferred to this summer. At the time, he was expected to be a squad player, competing with Konate for minutes, but now looks set to star at the heart of the defence alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool also signed Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, but they could make the move permanent in a year with a £47m non-compulsory option to buy included in the loan agreement.
There were hopes that the Reds would also sign a new right-back but that no longer seems likely, with Liverpool reportedly not planning any further additions to the back line this summer.
Now, according to [Caught Offside](https://www.caughtoffside.com/2026/08/25/sources-man-united-official-contact-defensive-bundesliga-talent/), Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United are keeping a close eye on Jeltsch.
They report: _“Sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside that Man United have received positive scouting feedback on Jeltsch and are considering making official contact with Stuttgart._
_“Liverpool, Arsenal and Juventus are also said to be following his development, while Bayern Munich have shown serious interest in keeping one of Germany’s brightest defensive talents in the Bundesliga._
_“Jeltsch remains tied to Stuttgart until June 2030, giving the German club considerable negotiating power._
_“Jeltsch has shown little indication that he is desperate to leave Stuttgart, while Bayern’s interest could make negotiations considerably harder. United would therefore need to sell him on their long-term project rather than simply relying on financial power.”_
One for the future, although Liverpool have bigger centre-back prospects
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Jeltsch may prove to be a revelation at centre-back, but in Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, the Reds are well stocked in terms of future prospects.
Then there’s Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who has moved to La Liga on loan with Levante in a bid to earn the necessary points to qualify for a work permit.