Liverpool eye £70m transfer that could end 24-year-old’s Anfield career

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Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have joined the race to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde after the Frenchman missed out on a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, according to Marca. 

On paper, Liverpool might seem stocked at centre-half. Look a little closer, however, and all is not as it seems.

Yes, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip have impressed this season. But Matip is never far away from a spell on the sidelines.

Joe Gomez, meanwhile, is understood to be considering his future after playing just 12 minutes of Premier League football all season. It’s a World Cup year after all (90Min).

And then there’s Nat Phillips; a player who’s stunning rise under Klopp had the Liverpool boss reminiscing about Robert Lewandowski’s transformation from promising youngster to bonafide Bundesliga legend. 

Phillips has made no secret about his desire to play regular first-team football – a desire that could lead him away from the Merseyside giants. 

And amid reports linking Liverpool with the likes of Ronald Araujo, Matthias Ginter and Scotland starlet Jamie Hamilton, it seems that Klopp and co have placed a new central defender on their summer wishlist. 

Will Man City target Jules Kounde join Liverpool instead?

According to Marca, Kounde has admirers at Anfield too. And so he should. The Europa League-winning France international is one of – if not the – most exciting young centre-halves on the continent.

Manchester City and Chelsea have both tried to sign Kounde in recent times.

But Sevilla’s legendary sporting director Monchi insists that offers less than £70 million – Kounde’s release clause – will be tossed unceremoniously into the nearest rubbish bin. 

“Yes, I spoke with Pep Guardiola. I had him on the telephone,” Kounde admitted to Canal Football Club recently.

“Everything went well. I was interested in going there and I had guarantees that I would play. But it didn’t happen.” 

Sevilla will not be welcoming offers for Kounde, however. Especially with the Frenchman’s centre-half partner Diego Carlos nearing a move to Newcastle United.

And Gomez, in particular, may be hoping that Monchi is as good as his word. He’s already fallen to fourth-place in Klopp’s pecking order. Slipping to fifth would be nothing short of a disaster for his World Cup hopes.