Liverpool are in a period of transition at Anfield with many players coming to the latter stages of their careers and now a potential new transfer target has been identified to be part of the youth revolution needed at the club.

What's the latest?

According to Calcio Mercato, Liverpool are 'very interested' in a swoop for Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini.

As per the report, the Reds will need to battle Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus to secure a deal for the popular player who has a price tag set at €40m (£35m).

He's the perfect Van Dijk heir

It is no secret that Liverpool have struggled this season to continue their dominance and it has become clear that the super team built by Jurgen Klopp is starting to go stale as many players in the team are seemingly on the decline.

The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League after a run of lacklustre and uninspiring performances over their first 18 outings with the team looking tired and unable to keep up with their opponents all over the pitch.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohammed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip and James Milner are all well into their 30s at this point, so starting to rebuild for the next generation of the Merseyside giants is due if the club want to return to the top of their game as soon as possible.

A move for Jude Bellingham has already been mooted in an attempt to refresh the midfield in 2023, however, Klopp could get ahead in his rebuild even further if he could secure the signing of Scalvini to add some more youth alongside Ibrahima Konate in the back line.

The talented 19-year-old - who was hailed a "top talent" by Fabrizio Romano - ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions, touches and tackles.

What that suggests is that he is dominant not just in possession, but also when he doesn't have the ball.

His reading of the game is astute, sitting in the top 10% for interceptions, while his ability to play on the front foot is illustrated by the fact that he ranks in the same percentile for progressive passes and dribbles completed.

With that in mind, there is only one player he could be the true heir to; Van Dijk.

Indeed, the young centre-back shares many similar qualities with the great Dutchman when comparing their output this season so. That includes goals scored (2 v 2), shot-creating actions (11 v 10), interceptions (19 v 19), blocks (15 v 15), progressive passes (45 v 54) and aerial duels won (66.7% v 78.6%).

With that being said, the signing of Scalvini would be a big addition for the powers at Anfield when planning their refresh of the current squad, with the young defender having the potential to become an integral part of Liverpool's future success.