Liverpool are ready to submit a summer bid of €50m (£41.7m) to sign Barcelona’s Jules Kounde.
Arne Slot’s side are scouring Europe for potential replacements for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is out of contract at the end of the season and attracting interest from Real Madrid.
Kounde is on the club’s radar, according to Spanish outlet El Nacional, with the Reds reportedly preparing an offer of around £41.7m for the France international.
The 25-year-old is a regular at Barcelona and has established himself as one of La Liga’s leading defenders, having earned inclusion in the division’s Team of the Season in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Kounde would represent a shift in style from Alexander-Arnold’s creativity, though ranks in the top 10% of defenders in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, progressive passes and aerial duels won per 90 minutes.
Alexander-Arnold’s future remains an ongoing issue for Liverpool as the 26-year-old nears the end of his contract. He is one of three high-profile names out of contract in the summer, alongside club captain Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool players not distracted by contract uncertainty
Slot has insisted the players are not distracted by the uncertainty surrounding their futures.
“These players are used to being linked with all the top clubs on a daily basis,” said the Reds boss at his pre-Chelsea press conference on Friday.
“If they have contracts or not. If you think they’re disturbed by these interests, then I think you don’t do justice to how strong they are mentally and what they are used to. This is part of our job.
“I was at Feyenoord last year and they linked me with many clubs and before that and before that. This is part of this world we are living in.
“You just focus on what you have to do. Maybe if you’re 17 or 18 years of age, that could be difficult for you. But Trent has won the league, has won the Champions League.”
