Liverpool have been told they'll have to pay £40 million for an "exemplary" young defender who has been tipped to succeed Virgil van Dijk at Anfield, according to a new report.
Van Dijk future hangs in balance
With the Reds firmly on course to lift the Premier League title, Liverpool fans might be happy for now. However, what promises to be a difficult summer is approaching. A number of the club's star players are out of contract and are yet to put pen to paper on new deals, most notably Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Virgil Van Dijk.
Sadly, it appears that Alexander-Arnold is on his way out, with the English full-back reported to be close to agreeing a deal to join Real Madrid after years of speculation about a possible move to the Spanish capital.
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Salah, meanwhile, is continuing to tease fans about his Anfield future, dropping cryptic hints in post-match interviews that this year will indeed be his last on Merseyside. A move to Saudi Arabia is believed to be the most likely for the Egyptian king.
Lastly, Van Dijk is holding talks over a new contract, but recently admitted he has "no idea" if he will remain with Liverpool after the end of the campaign, though it's understood head coach Arne Slot wants him to stay.
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Liverpool in contact to sign free defender compared to Van Dijk and Konate
He's been linked with multiple clubs.
“It’s not a one-two-three discussion and there we go,” he told The Independent. “There are multiple factors, and as long as I am calm to you guys, then there is no need to panic – whatever may happen in the future. If I was worried, you would see me playing a little bit worried, and that is not the case.”
Reds learn price for Jorrel Hato
With Van Dijk's future still up in the air, it will come as no surprise that Liverpool are scouting out potential successors for the big Dutchman if he is indeed to part ways with the Reds. One of those players Liverpool are understood to be keeping a beady eye on is compatriot and Ajax star Jorrel Hato.
The 19-year-old is widely regarded as one of the finest young central defenders in world soccer, attracting attention from all over the globe, including from the Reds, who have been "closely monitoring" his progress.
Now, according to a new report from Football Insider, Ajax have named their price for the teenager, who is Ajax's youngest-ever captain and has been described as "exemplary" by his former boss John van 't Schip.
The publication reports that Ajax will demand a minimum of £40 million from any club keen to sign Hato this summer, with Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Arsenal also interested.
They claim he has been 'identified by Liverpool as the long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk' and the Reds have been 'told' £40m would get the deal done.