Liverpool make contact to SIGN Chelsea star

The knowledge that Virgil van Dijk could soon depart Liverpool is enough to keep any Red up at night.

Anfield Watch exclusively reported back in November that the captain’s agent was telling other parties he was no longer available, but there has still been no new contract announced.

Liverpool Transfer News: Liverpool chase Man City WONDERKID as Slot CONFIRMS interest

Van Dijk leaving the club would result in an existential moment for Liverpool’s defence, having to change the very face of it in real time. This could be avoided with an extension, but the club still need to future-proof the centre-back spots, particularly on the left-hand side.

Rumours have swirled of men who could take the position of the best centre-back the world has seen this past half-decade.

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been a common name, but an asking price of £70m+ may make snatching him from Liverpool’s city-mates a tall order.

Another name that Liverpool have consistently been interested in despite its relative absurdity is Chelsea’s Levi Colwill.

Direct transfers between Chelsea and Liverpool feel wrong, they feel impossible, despite the fact they do have history. But profit and sustainability rules are making switches between Premier League sides more common than ever.

And a new report by TBR Football suggests that Liverpool still think they can acquire Colwill despite Chelsea’s success this season.

Could Liverpool actually sign Levi Colwill?

“Liverpool have checked in with Chelsea and Levi Colwill’s camp to assess the situation ahead of the summer transfer window, sources have told Graeme Bailey – chief correspondent at TBR Football.” reads the report.

“TBR Football is told that both Chelsea and Colwill are not looking at a change anytime soon,” the report continues, “indeed Colwill is seen by many at Stamford Bridge as a cornerstone of the squad and a future captain.”

Colwill, who is currently valued at €60m (£50.25m) by Football Transfers, has been tipped as a star of the future for some years now and his run at the heart of Chelsea’s first team has been confirmation of this. It has also resulted in him being called up to the England squad across this season.

His tackle rate this season is almost 10 percentage points higher than Van Dijk’s (65.2% success to 56.3%), and their tackle and interception numbers are similar, at 2.3 for Colwill to Van Dijk’s 2.62.

And whilst he’s not as imposing in the air (Van Dijk wins 71.2% of his aerial duels, Colwill 63%) this doesn’t have to be a significant problem when playing next to Ibrahima Konate.

It seems like it could be a longshot. Chelsea, as the report claims, want to keep a hold on Colwill as long as possible.

But anything can happen in football and money always talks.

Liverpool FC news recap: Slot MASTERSTROKE inbound star SHINES