Anfield Watch
·7 août 2025
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsAnfield Watch
·7 août 2025
It's on - Liverpool can now complete a dream swap deal for the perfect centre-back.
Right now all the focus is on Alexander Isak at the moment. However, the biggest need at Liverpool is in the centre-back department. The Reds need to address that position before the start of the season.
🚨2025/26 LFC x adidas range🚨
LFC x adidas
LFC x adidas
LFC x adidas
With less than ten days to go now until the Premier League season begins against Bournemouth, Liverpool still only have two fit and available centre-backs.
One of them is the injury prone Ibrahima Konate and the other one is Virgil van Dijk. All in all, there are only three senior centre-backs in the squad.
Joe Gomez, who is also injury prone, is currently out injured.
So Liverpool need to bolster that position and the perfect deal has just presented itself which could commence an ideal swap deal.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that RB Leipzig have begun discussions with Harvey Elliott's camp over a move for the Englishman.
Elliott is seen as the perfect replacement for Xavi Simons, who looks likely to depart the German side. Liverpool are also open to the sale of Elliott and doing business with Leipzig makes sense.
The Reds have a very strong relationship with the Red Bull club, and this is now further boosted by the fact that Jurgen Klopp also works for Red Bull.
So, it makes sense to bring Elliott in. But it also makes sense for Liverpool to get more out of the deal than just a hefty sale.
There's the opportunity here for Liverpool to sign the centre-back they have been wanting for a while and have been keeping a close eye on.
Anfield Watch understands that Liverpool scouts were regular attendees at RB Leipzig games last season and were keeping a close eye on Castello Lukeba in particular.
The reason why is simple. Lukeba is a perfect player for Slot's system at Anfield. He's a commanding centre-back, who reads the game really well and who wins a high volume of his challenges.
Quick and very comfortable on the ball, Lukeba could be the perfect fit, and someone who could easily become a future successor to Virgil van Dijk's throne.
Leipzig won't want to let him go on the cheap. He's only 22-years-old and he's one of the most promising young defenders in European football.
However, there is a deal to be done here that works for everyone. Liverpool can use Elliott to agree a swap deal (and probably some cash) in order to sign Lukeba.
In return Leipzig get their replacement for Simons and Liverpool get their much needed centre-back reinforcement.
It makes perfect sense. Lukeba is the dream target for Liverpool, he is pretty much tailor made for this system. Just like other Leipzig players were also tailor made for Liverpool in the past, such as Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai.