Liverpool refuse to give up on HISTORIC £75m transfer

Liverpool are in need of defensive recruits in the summer, as the club's supply of centre-backs is running worrying low.

Virgil Van Dijk's long-term future at the club is far from secure as no contract extension has been agreed with the Dutchman quite yet and unless a deal is reached before June, he will become a free agent on the turn of his current terms expiring.

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In addition, Ibrahima Konate is currently subject to interest from Paris Saint Germain and unless his contract - which is set to expire in 2026 - is extended, he will be considering his options shortly. He is currently reluctant to re-sign with Liverpool until he knows the outcome of the Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Van Dijk situation.

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And then we come to Joe Gomez and Jarrell Quansah, the former who was considering a move away from Liverpool last summer, and the latter who has recently signed a contract extension but is currently in a crisis of confidence on the pitch.

The safest thing the club can do is bring a new centre-back in, regardless of how the following situations conclude and in Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, it appears as though a perfect match has been found.

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While considering Brathwaite for a permanent move is a risky decision, given how unlikely it is that Everton would let go of him, especially to a direct rival, the young England international has all the qualities that Liverpool would want in a centre-back.

He's young, but he has great leadership qualities already, he is defiant in the air and bullish on the ground, and he is admired by his national team, meaning he is competing against the very best. In order to have Branthwaite competing in Europe on a club basis, a move to Liverpool or an equivalent club seems necessary.

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool are part of a group of high-profile admirers of the centre-back, that includes Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and even Real Madrid who have send scouts out to watch him.

The current interest has so far only extended to 'tracking' him, which seems by all accounts to be another word for 'monitoring' alongside other relatively meaningless terms used to suggest interest in a player.

However, Liverpool would actually be a perfect destination for the 22-year-old for a number of reasons, not least because he likely already lives in he area.

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He is homegrown which counts for extra with Premier League clubs and squad quotas and it is widely recognised that Everton are common favourites to fall into a relegation battle each season, which is less than optimal for a developing player.

With the right price tag, it seems plausible to suggest that Everton would at least consider allowing him to move to the red side of the city and given Liverpool haven't bought a centre-back in any of the last seven transfer windows, the budget for a new defensive recruit is likely to be substantial.

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As such, as difficult as it might be to imagine a player from Everton joining Liverpool, this transfer link in particular might be worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses, because Branthwaite will have ambitions beyond surviving relegation each year and Liverpool are as exciting a project as any in world football right now.

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