Liverpool favourites to agree deal for Premier League captain | OneFootball

Liverpool require a centre-back following the sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen and - potentially - Ibrahima Konate’s departure either this summer or next.

Several central defenders have been linked with a move to Anfield - with 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni already coming on board.

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Given his tender age - and only 17 top-flight appearances in his career - it remains to be seen just how often Arne Slot ends up using the Italian in his rookie season.

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The senior option most frequently linked with an Anfield move has been Marc Guehi - whose contract situation mirrors that of Konate.

Collins emerges on Liverpool radar

The Crystal Palace captain is out of contract in 2026 and the Eagles are hoping to bank £40m this summer rather than losing him for free next year.

If Liverpool can come to an arrangement over the fee then we could very well see the England man arrive during the current transfer window.

Otherwise, Liverpool will be well-positioned to secure the 25-year-old on a free transfer next summer.

But there is another possibility emerging.

Recent reports suggest that Liverpool have joined Manchester United and Tottenham in admiring the new Brentford captain Nathan Collins.

Nathan Collins ready for the next step

The 24-year-old played every single minute of the 2024/25 Premier League season - the only outfield player to achieve that feat - and has gone from strength to strength since joining the Bees.

The Ireland vice-captain joined Brentford back in 2023 for a club-record £23m - and has established himself as a consistent presence in the team.

It now appears that Collins is ready to take the next step in his career and there are plenty of reasons to believe that Liverpool are frontrunners for his signature.

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Liverpool in favourable position for Collins

Right now Liverpool could afford the deal - having sold Ben Doak to Bournemouth for £25m and the club are also prepared to get rid of Harvey Elliott.

Fellow suitors Manchester United meanwhile would be relying on outgoings before moving for Collins having spent £200m on a new strike force.

Spurs, for their part, are reckoned to be reluctant to move for a Brentford player given Thomas Frank’s respect for his former employers.

Of course, all that could change as the window moves to a close. Liverpool have also got well-established links with the Bees - having sold them the likes of Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Caoimhin Kelleher over the last year or so.

That could end up putting the Reds in a favourable position for negotiations with the Londoners.

It makes sense for the Merseysiders to keep their options at centre-back open given the uncertainty over both Guehi and Konate. And maybe it will be Collins who ends up stepping into the breach.