Liverpool line up Van Dijk REPLACEMENT as summer plans revealed

Tom Weber

• Updated: 12 Jun 2023 09:55 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool are in the market for a left-footed centre-back and more midfielders, according to Fabrizio Romano, and this could spell trouble for one of their club legends.

Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke are hard at work behind the scenes trying to remodel and freshen up Liverpool's squad after a disappointing season that saw the Reds miss out on Champions League football.

Alexis Mac Allister has already been signed in what could be one of the bargain deals of the new season. The former Brighton man and 2022 World Cup winner could be a transformative player for Liverpool's midfield, yet he alone won't solve all of their problems. Indeed, with the departures of Naby Keita, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the potential exit of Fabio Carvalho, there a still some gaping holes in the Anfield outfit's centre of the park.

With this in mind, Liverpool are scouring the market for two more midfielders, according to Fabrizio Romano. As FootballTransfers has been exclusively reporting since the start of the year, one of their midfield targets is exciting Borussia Monchengladbach dynamo Kouadio "Manu" Kone.

EXCLUSIVE: Khephren Thuram and Liverpool agree terms

Moreover, as we have also been able to reveal, Jurgen Klopp has taken a keen interest in Khephren Thuram of Nice, with whom the Reds have already agreed personal terms.

A new Van Dijk?

Fabrizio Romano has now also given some new information on Liverpool's summer plans by stating that, besides midfielders, they are also targeting a centre-back. This is quite interesting indeed because he made sure to emphasise that the defender they are looking for should be left-footed.

A left-footer doesn't necessarily have to play on the left side of the defence of course, but that is where they tend to feature, meaning that Liverpool are likely already planning for a future without Virgil van Dijk.

READ: Liverpool legend urges Reds to hijack Arsenal’s move for midfield ‘rock’

An undisputed club legend, the Dutchman wasn't able to live up to his lofty standards last term, neither with Liverpool nor with the Dutch national team. It's only natural, then, that Liverpool would look to bring in competition for the 31-year-old with whom age might slowly be catching up.

Romano didn't mention any names, but he said that there is a "clear intention" to bring in this left-footed centre-back.