The future of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak continues to dominate headlines as he hopes to sign for Liverpool within the month.
Arne Slot has welcomed a range of high-quality signings to his fold since winning the Premier League in his first season in charge, but the cream of the summer crop perhaps lies yet ahead.
Isak was described as “the best striker in the world, bar none” by analyst Raj Chohan for his performances across the recent season, scoring 27 goals across all competitions as United qualified for the Champions League and won the Carabao Cup (against Liverpool in the final).
Liverpool have seen a £120m bid knocked back by the Magpies, and may yet return depending on developments over the coming weeks, with Isak determined to join the Premier League champions.
But this isn’t the only area that sporting director Richard Hughes will need to look at, for Slot needs another central defender if he is to succeed in attacking the many different fronts of the 2025/26 campaign.
And Hughes has a few different options in mind.
Liverpool scouting new defender
Having sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m, Liverpool are light on their feet in central defence, with Joe Gomez’s minor Achille injury exacerbating the situation.
That’s why FSG have shown a vested interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who has just one year remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park.
Guehi would be the perfect fully-formed addition to join Virgil van Dijk and the rest, but Liverpool will not overpay.
However, previous interest in Dean Huijsen this year emphasises the need for more quality and depth at the rearguard, and Liverpool may turn to an up-and-coming talent who has performed highly on scouting tests.
Indeed, according to Liverpool correspondent Lewis Steele, the Reds have been monitoring the situation of 21-year-old defender Konstantinos Koulierakis, who plays for the German club Wolfsburg.
Koulierakis might not be ready for a starting role, week on week, for Slot’s Merseysiders, but he’s making steady progress and is highly rated.
The Greek talent has also been chased by Aston Villa and Real Madrid in 2025 and has a price tag of €50m (£42m).
Why Liverpool should sign Konstantinos Koulierakis
Described as a “mature and complete centre-back” who belies his youth and inexperience by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Koulierakis is a dynamic defender with the perfect style of play for the Premier League scene, having been likened to Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol.
As per Sofascore, the up-and-comer won 59% of his duels in the German top-flight last year and averaged 4.6 clearances per game, and his fundamental early career development in the Bundesliga could even lead him to become Van Dijk’s next version of Joel Matip.
A cult hero and a crucial part of the Jurgen Klopp era, Matip was forced into an agonising early retirement in December 2023 after injuring his knee against Fulham in the Premier League.
The towering defender joined Liverpool on a free transfer after his contract with Schalke had expired in 2016. What a signing. That assist for Divock Origi in the Champions League final stands out as the apotheosis of his illustrious career, but he provided steely support across eight seasons in total.
23/24
14
–
–
22/23
21
2
–
21/22
43
3
3
20/21
12
1
2
19/20
13
2
–
18/19
31
1
1
17/18
35
1
–
16/17
32
1
–
Known for his mazy, physique-belying runs upfield and his slick partnership with Van Dijk, the Cameroonian contributed greatly at Anfield, all the more impressive given that he was signed on a free transfer, Klopp’s second signing after replacing Brendan Rodgers.
Van Dijk once said, “I wish I had Matip’s quality!” That, surely, emphasises the level of ability that Liverpool once had in their defensive ranks, and given that Koulierakis has been considered tactically comparable to Gvardiol, it might be the perfect move to land a new partner for the Dutch skipper in Slot’s side.
The 6 foot 1 Koulierakis gained a wealth of experience in his homeland with PAOK before making the leap over to the German scene one year ago, and he actually has 106 senior appearances to his name across the two outfits, with 14 caps for Greece besides.
Ranked among the top 2% of centre-backs in the Bundesliga last season for switches too, as per FBref, Koulierakis likes to promote expansive passing play and make an impact both with crunching challenges and attacking inspiration.
In that way, he has an offensive side to his game as a central defender that offers slight shades to Matip.
Liverpool would surely prefer to sign Guehi this summer, given his experience and reputation as one of the Premier League’s best centre-backs, but Palace’s stance will make the final comment on that one.
Ibrahima Konate is believed to be hopeful that he and Liverpool might reach an agreement over a new contract, and that he would remain on Merseyside over the coming years, signing this Wolfsburg gem might prove the perfect swoop for the Reds.
Konate and Van Dijk will continue to star as Slot’s recognised defensive partnership over the next few years, but Koulierakis has proven himself to have the potential to thrive at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
And with Real Madrid yet again registering their interest in a player somehow tied to Liverpool, FSG would be wise to forge ahead and get this one over the line as soon as possible, should the pursuit of Guehi prove fruitless.
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