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Liverpool have made a £30 million move for a defender who could be a game-changer when it comes to the way Jurgen Klopp wants to play.
The Reds had a transitional season last term, with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold moving into midfield from his usual full-back berth towards the end of the campaign. Having played there recently for England too, Klopp is now assessing how to reshape his side with new signings this summer.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have both arrived to revamp the midfield – but the most important signing for Alexander-Arnold could yet be around the corner.
Italian outlet Tuttosport has reported that Liverpool have bid for Torino centre-back Perr Schuurs, with the Merseysiders seeking serious defensive reinforcements ahead of next season.
The Reds have long held interest in the Dutch defender, offering him a trial as a 17-year-old, before being linked with him in 2020 following their centre-back crisis that season when Virgil van Dijk was ruled out for the season.
As a centre-back who can also play right-back, Schuurs is physical, calm on the ball but more importantly, has experience of covering both positions. This could be invaluable for Klopp’s system, which has seen Alexander-Arnold drift out of the right-back slot to form a box midfield.
Ibrahima Konate has been tasked with looking after that area of the defence following Alexander-Arnold’s movement into more promising positions but the Frenchman has struggled to cover the space adequately, finding himself stretched at times.
Liverpool could revert to a 3-2-4-1 to resemble Manchester City’s shape or simply use Schuurs as the right-back in the system, with Alexander-Arnold moving into midfield permanently. The 23-year-old could just be used a rotational centre-back, too.
Schuurs is valued at €25m by Transfermarkt.
More Liverpool stories
Liverpool transfer news is ramping up ahead of a huge overhaul at Anfield this summer.
Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich has been linked, while James Ward-Prowse is said to be on the shortlist. Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga is a target and Khephren Thuram of Nice is said to be close to joining – but Manuel Ugarte is one star who reportedly won’t be moving to Merseyside.
Meanwhile, Diogo Jota has told FFT that Liverpool can win the title in 2024.
