A sensational defender now really wants to join Liverpool.
Richard Hughes did not inherit an easy task when he took over as sporting director at Anfield. But the facts are clear, so far he has done his job well.
Even though results haven't been as expected this season, Hughes' vision has been for the long-term. He signed the best possible players available in the market last summer. And he's now overseeing Liverpool's centre-back rebuild.
This started with the exciting arrivals of Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni and it's set to continue this summer.
With the future of Ibrahima Konate uncertain and Virgil van Dijk's and Joe Gomez's contracts expiring in 2027, a refresh is needed.
It looks like Jacquet and Leoni will spearhead the club's new defensive line. But they won't be alone. Hughes will be looking to add more pieces to Arne Slot's arsenal in the coming years.
And there's one defender who would very much like to join the club and become part of that equation.
One of the biggest positives about Jacquet and Leoni is that they are both capable of playing as a left and right sided centre-back.
Neither are limited to playing just one side, and this opens up the possibilities a little bit more for Richard Hughes.
It means he can sign a centre-back who is more predominantly a left or right-sided player.
According to Het Nieuwsblad as per Sport Witness Liverpool are interested in Roggerio Nyakossi, who Sport Witness claims would really like to join the Reds.
He’s 22-years-old and plays for OH Leuven in the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium.
Nyakossi is Swiss international and has been a regular at all international youth levels, even catching the eye at U20 level against the likes of England in a youth tournament back in 2024.
In terms of his position, Nyakossi is a centre-back. He’s plays predominantly on the left side of the defence and is left-footed, which is an area where Liverpool are lacking depth behind Van Dijk and it's probably the side where both Jacquet and Leoni are less comfortable.
One of the things that stands about Nyakossi is that he is extremely fast. He averages over 7 recoveries per 90 minutes this season and wins over 68% of his defensive duels.
Crucially, he’s also very comfortable on the ball, which is essential in order to play for Liverpool these days. He’s excellent at building out from the back and instigating attack completing 90% of his 37 attempted passes per 90 minutes.
In many ways, he looks like an absolute gem and it's always nice to hear players being really keen to play for the club.
Liverpool will have learnt this season that having extra depth as centre-back is very necessary. For the right price, Nyakossi could be a really shrewd investment.
