Liverpool is reportedly interested in 19-year-old Rennes center-back Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, as the club continues to consider its defensive options ahead of next season.
While Virgil van Dijk is staying put for another two years, there is uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate's future ahead of the expiration of his contract next year, while Joe Gomez is coming back from hamstring surgery and Jarell Quansah has just experienced a regressive campaign.
The Reds were interested in Dean Huijsen, but he plumped for Real Madrid, and a link has now emerged with another young defender in Ait Boudlal. Liverpool has already signed one defender in Jeremie Frimpong this summer, while Florian Wirtz could also be on the way.
Liverpool and Newcastle are both said to be interested in the player, and while Newcastle has reportedly met with the player, the Reds are reported by Le360 Sport to have gone one step further and made a concrete offer to him. There is also interest in Ait Boudlal from other clubs in France as well as two clubs in Spain.
Who is Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal?
Given his young age and lack of top-level game time, most soccer fans are unlikely to have heard of him, but he is highly rated. In October last year, Ait Boudlal was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of world's best 2006-born players.
The 6-foot-3 Marrakesh-born defender developed at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in his home country of Morocco, before signing his first professional contract with French club Rennes in July 2024.
Ait Boudlal in action for Amiens
Ait Boudlal in action for Amiens (Image: 2025 Icon Sport)
Ait Boudlal made six appearances for Rennes' second team, and also turned out for the Under-19s on a couple of occasions during the first half of the 2024-25 season.
In February, he was sent on loan to French second tier side Amiens for the remainder of the campaign, and went on to make nine appearances, with eight of those coming as starts.
Le360 Sport reports that Ait Boudlal is noted for "his ability to pass, his defensive intelligence, and a maturity rare for his age."
Reds' transfer window state of play
Boudlal is one of several players Liverpool is pursuing ahead of next season, with the club also working on deals for more high-profile targets in Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez.
Wirtz recently decided that he wanted to join Liverpool ahead of Bayern Munich, and there is belief that a deal could be wrapped up before the summer's first transfer window closes on June 10 — even if it isn't, the window reopens less than a week later and runs until the beginning of September.
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Talks are also ongoing over Kerkez, who the club has identified as its preferred long-term successor to Andy Robertson, who will turn 32 next season.
Robertson was asked about Liverpool's interest in Kerkez ahead of Scotland's friendly with Iceland on Friday and responded: "We're not daft, it looks as if a deal could potentially be done.
"But, until that is done, I've not even given that a second thought. I back myself. I've got confidence in my own ability and that drives me forward."