Jurgen Klopp has been given the green light to bring Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt to Liverpool this summer.
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That’s according to Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Liverpool Echo), which claimed that the Reds are ready to pounce for the 22-year-old, who has handed in a transfer request and will not return to the Serie A club following a meeting.
His contract will expire in 2024 and any move will likely involve a big fee, with Klopp looking at partnering De Ligt with compatriot Virgil van Dijk at centre-back for Liverpool.
An offer of around €70m (£60m) should be enough to spark negotiations as the Merseysiders face a battle with Manchester United and Chelsea over the defender.
Klopp given green light for "unreal signing"
Liverpool have already added three new faces to their squad in a busy first few weeks of the summer transfer window. Deals for Fabio Carvalho, Calvin Ramsay and a club-record £85m swoop for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez have given Kopites some cheer since last month's Champions League final defeat.
However, A move for de Ligt could prove to be the best of the lot, despite the Anfield club being well-stocked with top-class centre-backs.
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The Dutchman is a top-quality prospect, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher once lauding him as “unbelievable”, while De Ligt was also described as an “unreal signing” for any Premier League club by journalist Chris Stonadge.
The 22-year-old achieved a rating of 7.07 on SofaScore for his performances in Serie A last season, while having an impressive 89% pass success rate and making 1.1 tackles and 3.1 clearances per match.
De Ligt was only dribbled past 0.1 times per match and won 63% of his aerial duels, proving that his all-around defensive ability is thoroughly impressive.
With the success that the Liverpool defence had last season - conceding a joint-league low 26 goals - they don’t urgently need the Dutchman, but Klopp could form an incredible backline with his addition to the Anfield ranks.