Premier League champions Liverpool are interested in signing Real Betis defender Aissa Mandi when his contract expires in the summer, according to La Razon.
The Algeria international may be entering his final few months at the Estadio Benito Villamarin but no-one can question Mandi’s commitment to the cause.
The 29-year-old has been in superb form for a Betis side that has lost just one of its past nine La Liga matches, going from relegation candidates to Europa League contenders in the blink of an eye.
Mandi even captained Manuel Pellegrini’s side during recent La Liga clashes with Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad.
And the former Manchester City and Real Madrid boss hasn’t given up hope of tying the defender down to a new long-term deal – even if this appears to be a battle of the uphill variety.
“(The club) are talking to him and his agent. It would be very important for him to continue at Betis,” Pellegrini explains.
With Liverpool and AC Milan scouring the market for an affordable central defender, however, Mandi may feel this is his last genuine chance to join a bonafide continental giant.
La Razon claims Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were interested in Mandi in January, before snapping up Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies instead.
And with Kabak struggling since joining on loan from Schalke – failing to justify his £18 million price tag so far – Liverpool could be forgiven for wondering whether Mandi on a free represents far better value, even if he is almost a decade older than the Turkey international.
The report adds Mandi could still sign a contract extension with Real Betis but, for now, will be available for nothing come June.
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