{"id":177394,"date":"2025-06-12T03:51:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T03:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/177394\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T03:51:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T03:51:20","slug":"liverpool-have-new-transfer-priority-as-shock-target-emerges-to-end-long-term-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/177394\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool have new transfer priority as shock target emerges to end long-term search"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ECHO’s Liverpool writers take a closer look at which young centre-back could end a long-term search this summerBranthwaite during Everton’s loss to Liverpool in April. (Photo by Carl Recine\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Having shown an interest in both Leny Yoro and Dean Huijsen across successive summer transfer windows, it’s clear Liverpool are looking at their centre-back department with a wider lens.<\/p>\n

With Virgil van Dijk signed on for the next two years, the Reds are targeting the next up-and-coming centre-back to lead their backline beyond what will be a 10-year stay of their current captain.<\/p>\n

Yoro had also been wanted by Real Madrid before both clubs walked away due to the Frenchman’s salary demands. Manchester United, who could also offer a first-team position sooner and more regularly than their competitors, subsequently paid \u00a352m to land the young Frenchman from Lille.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Liverpool backed to hijack \u00a360m Man United transfer – ‘It was interesting to see’<\/a>READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister names Argentina team-mate he would sign for Liverpool in heartbeat<\/a><\/p>\n

Liverpool<\/a> were also in the hunt for Huijsen at Bournemouth before Real Madrid triggered the \u00a350m release clause to take him to the Spanish capital and complete a dream switch for the new La Roja international.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, Levi Colwill was under consideration after a successful loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, although there was an acceptance that the now England international would be difficult to snatch away from Premier League<\/a> rivals Chelsea.<\/p>\n

So, given the target is a long-term centre-back<\/a>, who else might be emerging as a potential target? The ECHO’s Reds writers have scoured the market for those who best fit the bill.<\/p>\n

Paul Gorst<\/p>\n

Goncalo Inacio (23) has emerged as an important member of a Portugal side who have just won the Nations League, while his Sporting team-mate Ousmane Diomande (21) is another whose reputation has grown over the past couple of years in the Primeira Liga.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Piero Hincapie – a vital part of the Bayer Leverkusen side who won the Bundesliga title 12 months ago before finishing as runners-up this time out – is still just 23.<\/p>\n

However, I can’t profess to have seen much of that trio, particularly the Sporting duo. Hincapie was part of Bayer’s back three in their 4-0 defeat at Anfield<\/a> last season, but as someone who mostly watches the Premier League, this theoretical transfer search only takes us as far as the River Trent.<\/p>\n

Murillo has become a major part of the Nottingham Forest team that ended up finishing seventh last time out and the Brazilian centre-back has become something of a cult hero at the City Ground.<\/p>\n

The defender may have question marks about his ability to play in a side who are more front-footed than the counter-attack-heavy Forest but at the age of 22 there is plenty of room to improve and grow.<\/p>\n

He is aggressive, strong and quick and, importantly, a left-sided defender, which Liverpool will be in need of when Van Dijk eventually calls time on his legendary career with the Reds.<\/p>\n

And who wouldn’t love to see Murillo’s party trick of shots from 40 yards or more virtually every game at Anfield?<\/p>\n

Ian Doyle<\/p>\n

Liverpool possess four quality centre-backs at present but, for various reasons, they almost certainly aren’t going to all be around at Anfield in a couple of years. Some may not even last to the end of this summer’s transfer window.<\/p>\n

The Reds have been looking to future-proof the heart of their defence for several years, only to be thwarted by either an unwillingness to pay over the odds or players simply believing they have a better chance of success elsewhere.<\/p>\n

It means the best young centre-backs are primarily already locked in at many of Liverpool’s chief rivals and, as such, will be virtually impossible to prise away.<\/p>\n

And while that also applies to the player Liverpool should now consider, they should have a go regardless.<\/p>\n

Jarrad Branthwaite is the centre-back in question, who the Reds have scouted since his days on loan at PSV Eindhoven before impressively progressing in the Everton<\/a> first team.<\/p>\n

Given the Blues have an interest in teenage Liverpool winger Ben Doak, it’s clear the barriers that usually stop such cross-city transfers happening are being lowered by the Hill Dickinson Stadium outfit at present.<\/p>\n

Liverpool, then, should take advantage. Branthwaite wouldn’t be cheap but, with one brief England cap and only limited European experience, the Merseyside premium should be negated on his overall value.<\/p>\n

It’ll probably never happen. But if you don’t ask, you don’t get. And as Premier League champions, Liverpool’s allure will never be greater than at present.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The ECHO’s Liverpool writers take a closer look at which young centre-back could end a long-term search this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":177395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,4884,1468,179,763,1596,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-177394","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-jarrad-branthwaite","12":"tag-liverpool","13":"tag-liverpool-fc","14":"tag-liverpool-fc-transfer-news","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114668364608526781","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}