Liverpool could viably sign a much sought-after Serie A defender for approximately £35m this summer, judging by the latest information shared by one transfer insider.
In March, the Merseyside club reportedly sent scouts to monitor Pierre Kalulu, and the feedback on the Juventus centre-back is understood to have been ‘very positive’.
The alleged interest in the Frenchman comes at a time when Reds fans are still waiting to see whether or not his compatriot and positional peer Ibrahima Konate signs a new contract at Anfield, with our number 5 now into the final two months of his current deal.
Mark Brus reported for the Daily Briefing on Wednesday morning that Liverpool ‘continue to monitor’ Kalulu closely, with Manchester United and Aston Villa ‘also in the mix’.
Juventus are determined not to sell the 25-year-old, who they view as ‘central’ to their long-term project, and they’re prepared to offer him a new contract running to 2030 which’d include a significant wage increase.
Whilst the Turin club are understandably keen to hold onto the defender, the transfer reporter has given the Reds some hope of prising him from the Serie A giants.
Brus outlined: ‘I feel I should also share some information, however, from sources who’ve done a lot of work in and around the agents industry, who state that the strong suspicion is that Juve would sell for the right price, perhaps around €40m [£34.5m], especially if the player won’t agree to a new contract.’
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A fee of around £35m for an experienced defender at a high level in Europe who’s coming into his prime footballing years and can cover multiple positions across the backline would appear to be more than enticing, especially given Liverpool’s need for defensive reinforcements this summer.
A tactical analysis of Kalulu for Breaking The Lines praised his ‘knack for following his man to win possession high up the field, before continuing his momentum to drive forward with the ball at feet’, and that’s borne out in his underlying performance figures from the current Serie A campaign, as seen below in data from Fotmob.
Despite Juventus being held to a 1-1 draw by relegated Verona last weekend, the 25-year-old impressed for his side by winning six of his seven duels, making four defensive contributions and recording two key passes (Sofascore).
Whilst primarily a centre-back, his ability to play on the right could be hugely attractive for Liverpool, with Arne Slot frequently deploying midfielders out of position at right-back due to the injury problems which have curtailed Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.
The Bianconeri won’t give up Kalulu without a strong fight, and with good reason, but the door would appear open for the Reds to test the Turin club’s resolve with an enticing offer in the summer, and the purported asking price doesn’t seem prohibitive.
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