£60m Liverpool target given GREEN light after impressive performance

Liverpool need a centre-back. Regardless of whether Van Dijk leaves or if the club manages to convince him to stay, it is clear that defensive recruits should feature high up on the Reds' shopping list.

Arne Slot's favoured defensive partner for the Liverpool captain is Ibrahima Konate and the club's reliance on the Frenchman is a disaster waiting to happen.

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Jarrell Quansah's confidence has been shot to bits and Joe Gomez is rarely available for any extended period because he struggles with fitness and injuries.

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In addition, Konate is fancied by Paris Saint-Germain for a move as his contract is set to be up in 2026, making it the last opportunity for Liverpool to receive a fee for him if contract negotiations are unlikely to prove successful.

As such, at the very least, a centre-back is required, and it has become very obvious over the last few weeks who the club should be targeting.

Bastoni to lead the Reds' defence going forward

When fans around the world are tasked with naming the best defenders in the world, the name Alessandro Bastoni is commonly brought up.

The Italian has become a reliable workhorse in Inter Milan's defence over the years since joining the San Siro-based team in 2018.

He radiates calmness on the ball, his tactical intelligence is second to none and he is not afraid to put in a crunching tackle when necessary.

All of those attributes were on show when Italy came up short against Germany in the Nations League last night.

While his team were largely outplayed on the night, Bastoni delivered a performance to remember. Across the 90 minutes, he made seven clearances, five tackles, four accurate long balls, seven ground duels, three aerial duels and a successful dribble.

As such, when it comes to picking out your dream defender to replace Van Dijk and join Slot's defensive artillery, there are few better in Europe than the Italian and if an opportunity to sign him becomes available then it's go time.

Last week, the club was linked to him by the Spanish news outlet Fichajes, who suggested that Liverpool had 'set their sights' on him and were 'willing to present an offer of €75m' for him.

However, little was made of it because it seemed unlikely that Inter Milan would allow their star defender to leave, even despite the promising signs that Bastoni had previously admitted that he couldn't wait to play at Anfield ahead of the Nerazzurri's clash with the Reds in 2022.

But things are looking up as Football Insider have now confirmed that Liverpool are looking at the Italian as a leading candidate to join the club this season, adding that an offer of £60m would be accepted.

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In the context that Liverpool haven't signed a centre-back for seven transfer windows, the club needs a centre-back this season regardless of whether Van Dijk leaves or not, and considering the stature of the player they would be buying for £60m, it seems incredibly obvious what the Reds should do.

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