Premier League giants Liverpool could make a move for Rennes’ £16 million centre-back Arthur Theate after Jurgen Klopp missed out on his fellow Belgium international Romeo Lavia to Chelsea.
Wataru Endo might not have been the defensive midfielder Liverpool supporters were dreaming of – a decade Lavia’s senior and nowhere near as high-profile as Moises Caicedo – but confirmation of his arrival from Stuttgart on Friday lunchtime certainly fills a void in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Endo, Anfield icon Dietmar Hamann predicts, will ‘surprise’ people in English football.
And with the former Stuttgart captain through the door, Liverpool now have the luxury of turning their attention to other positions with two weeks of the window still remaining.
Liverpool turn to Rennes defender Arthur Theate
The Merseyside giants, according to French publication L’Equipe, are also hoping to bring in a left-footed centre-half before September 1st. And Arthur Theate fits the bill; the £16 million stopper excelling after moving to Rennes from KV Oostende a year ago.
Theate only turned 23 in May. Capped eight times by his country, the 6ft 1ins stopper would provide high-quality back-up for the ageing Virgil van Dijk.
Liverpool showed an interest in Chelsea’s Levi Colwill. Micky van de Ven too, prior to his £34 million move to Tottenham Hotspur. They would now face competition from Fulham for Theate. And, while Anfield would obviously be the more high-profile destination, the one-time Genk youngster may have reservations about the prospect of a season spent on the Liverpool bench with next summer’s European Championships less than 12 months away.
“He’s a player with a lot of character,” former Belgium boss Roberto Martinez said of Theate in 2021. “He likes duels.”
Martinez also hailed Theate’s ‘aggression’ and ‘intensity’. Two attributes which often go hand-in-hand with the poodle-haired powerhouse.
“He is a player who commits himself a lot,” adds Rennes director Florian Maurice, who is also facing a battle hanging into Jeremy Doku amid interest from Manchester City.
“(Theate) likes to defend and he likes challenges. He has a natural aggressiveness and an incredible energy.”
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