Liverpool are almost certain to invest in their defence next summer with the club said to be prioritising the centre-back position ahead of the start of next season.
Virgil van Dijk has been at his imperious best this season, which has contributed to Liverpool having the best defence in the Premier League after eight league games.
However, the Dutchman will be out of contract next summer and he has remained non-commital about signing a new deal despite confirming ongoing talks between his agents and Liverpool.
Liverpool are aware that they need to find Van Dijk’s successor or replacement sooner or later and are looking at several young centre-backs in the market.
However, they are also aware that they might need to bring in a more experienced head if Van Dijk decides to move on from the club at the end of the season.
Jonathan Tah has been identified as a potential target but Bayer Leverkusen have not given up on the prospect of the defender signing a new contract.
Liverpool push to secure a deal for the centre-back target
Tah, 28, will be out of contract at the end of the season and has been vocal about not wanting to sign a fresh deal with the German champions.
A move to Bayern Munich didn’t materialise in the summer and the German giants are still believed to be keen on signing him next year.
Inter Milan are also in the race but according to InterLive are not convinced that they can compete with Liverpool financially with regards to the wages they could offer.
AC Milan are also keen on Tah but they are also likely to face the same issue as Liverpool are well-placed to offer him a bigger contract given his free-agent status.
The Reds are carrying out the checks on the centre-back and could make an offer to agree on a pre-contract with the player in January itself.
Tah would be open to a move to a club of Liverpool’s size if he gets the right offer on his table.
A lot will still depend on what Van Dijk does as the need for an experienced defender will lessen if he signs a new contract with the club.
Liverpool are keeping their options open and Tah is very much a player they are keeping close tabs on.