Liverpool’s Defensive Transfer Targets for the Summer 2025 | OneFootball

Bar a collapse the likes of which the Premier League has never seen, given the fact that the Reds are 11 points clear with just seven games left to play, Liverpool will win the title this season. It is odd, therefore, to talk about the need to strengthen in certain areas, but there is little question that that is exactly what the club needs to do.

It is undoubtedly the defence that needs the most work done to it, which is the case before we even know one way or the other whether Virgil van Dijk will sign a new contract.

Richard Hughes and his team have their work cut out, but who are some of the club’s main targets?

Virgil van Dijk

Having mentioned the captain in the intro, it is only right to look at his situation a little bit more closely. There is obviously a reason why the club has allowed his contract to run down, but there is no doubt that doing so has left supporters feeling rather twitchy. That it has happened at the same time as the contracts of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah’s contracts have run down feels somewhat neglectful.

Most people now accept that Trent is on his way to Real Madrid, but van Dijk appears to be keen to sign a new contract to join Salah, leaving many to wonder why it hasn’t been done yet.

Ultimately, it’s all about money. Virgil will be asking for one amount whilst the club will be offering another and so meeting somewhere in the middle will be the most likely outcome. There has, according to the player himself, been some movement on the contract front and for a lot of people getting that tied up should be a priority. Admittedly his performances against Everton and Fulham might have left some people wondering whether he’d put the wrong boots on, but he’s still one of the best centre-backs in the world and Liverpool would be mad not to keep him around.

Piero Hincapié

Whether Virgil van Dijk signs a new contract or not, the truth is that the Reds need to bring in at least one or two new centre-backs. For many supporters, there has been a need to reinforce at the back for some time, largely on account of the fact that Joe Gomez seems to be perpetually injury-prone and Ibrahima Konaté isn’t a whole lot better. Add into that the fact that Jarrell Quansah has struggled to hit the heights we thought he might be capable of, and you can see why Liverpool have been linked with Piero Hincapie. The Bayer Leverkusen defender can also operate as a left-back.

That means that the 23-year-old would be seen as a possible long-term replacement for van Dijk whilst also challenging Andy Robertson after the Scottish international has seen a dip in form during the campaign. It is reported that Hincapie has a release clause of about £42 million, which plays right into the hands of a Liverpool hierarchy that loves to find such bargains in the market. He won a domestic double with Xabi Alonso’s side last term and so knows exactly what it takes to win a title, whilst Leverkusen are already looking for his replacement in the form of Albian Hajdari.

Jeremie Frimpong

If there is a reason why the Reds might not go for Piero Hincapié, then it comes in the form of Jeremie Frimpong. There have been rumours for some time that it might be a different Bayer Leverkusen defender that Liverpool are after, given the fact that many people see the Dutch international as the perfect replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Manchester City and Celtic man would be eligible for homegrown status thanks to the nine years that he spent in the Cityzens’ Academy, making him absolutely ideal when it comes to meeting those requirements.

He also has a release clause, this time believed to be for around £33.5 million, meaning that the Reds know precisely how much his maximum fee would be. Doubtless Hughes would fancy his chances of getting him for slightly less than that, which would be music to the ears of Fenway Sports Group. The fact that he’s Dutch is also likely to be seen as a positive, as the manager might well believe that he can persuade him to join him, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo, to say nothing of the captain, as part of Liverpool’s Dutch contingent at Anfield.

Milos Kerkez

There is no question that Andy Robertson has been an incredible servant for Liverpool during his time at the club. He will be remembered by many as one of the best left-backs ever to wear the club’s famous Red shirt, having won everything that there is to win after his move to Anfield from Hull City. Unfortunately, though, time waits for no man and ‘Robbo’ has seen his performances dip when he’s been asked to play more than one game a week. He made three errors in the same move against Fulham at Craven Cottage, having been sent off against them at Anfield.

The name on everyone’s lips as an obvious replacement for the Scot is Milos Kerkez, who has admitted to wanting to play at the ‘highest level’. There aren’t many levels higher than the Premier League champions-elect, so it’s little wonder that the links to Liverpool have been so persistent. Bournemouth have reportedly put a £45 million price tag on his head, largely thanks to the three years that he still has left on his contract. If the Reds can bring someone in who plays for the length of time that Robertson did and wins the kind of trophies he won, that’ll be a snip.