Liverpool are now said to have made contact over a deal to sign Jeremiah St Juste from Sporting CP.
What’s the story?
Well – according to Record in Portugal – Liverpool are keen to bring the Dutchman to Anfield.
It is said that the Reds have made contact with St. Juste‘s representatives over a deal to sign him from Sporting CP after being left impressed by his performance against Arsenal in the Europa League.
The 26-year-old played all 210 minutes across both legs as Sporting CP defeated the Gunners on penalties in the Europa League Round of 16.
Record believe the Portuguese giants want to keep St. Juste at the José Alvalade Stadium, and feel protected by the fact he has a contract running until July 2026.
However, that contract does include a €45m (£40m) release clause, which is an affordable sum for the centre-back as far as Liverpool are concerned.
Interestingly, Bild claimed that he preferred a move to the Premier League in 2022 before joining Sporting CP.
While every transfer rumour must be taken with a pinch of salt, there could be some truth to this based on Liverpool’s recent recruitment.
The Reds have made a habit of dipping into the Portuguese market across recent years, spending £37m to sign Luis Diaz from Porto before parting with £64m to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica.
Now, Jürgen Klopp appears keen to make it a hat-trick of raids on Portugal’s leading clubs.
Liverpool need St. Juste more than some might think
Some may question why Klopp would want another central defender when he already has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Nat Phillips to choose from for just two starting positions.
However, a lot of those options lack pace, which is a crucial trait for any defender to have under the German, who would ideally like to adopt a high defensive line and field those with good recovery pace.
In that respect, St. Juste would be an ideal option.
The Sporting CP No.3 was clocked as the quickest player in the Bundesliga back in the 2020/21 campaign, remarkably hitting a top speed of 22.43mph.
That would allow St. Juste to be an effective presence under Klopp in a high line, while also possessing the speed required to cover for Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold when they push forward.
Be sure to keep an eye on this rumour, as it could have legs.
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