Liverpool are planning a January move for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano, according to journalist Ekrem Konur.
The Merseyside giants bolstered their central defensive department with Giovanni Leoni over the summer, but the Italian has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that the 18-year-old could be sidelined for around a year, but this could force the Reds to enter the transfer market for a new centre-back.
Konur now reports that the Reds are weighing up a January move for Upamecano, whose contract with Bayern expires at the end of the ongoing campaign.
Real Madrid are also monitoring the Frenchman, who could be prised away for between £31 million and £39 million.
Possible deal
Liverpool presently have Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as the regular central defenders, but the latter has been injury prone on occasions. Joe Gomez is the immediate back-up at the moment, but the Englishman has had an injury-plagued career with the Anfield giants.
The Reds tried to sign Marc Guehi alongside Leoni last summer, but Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the potential deal on deadline day. There are suggestions that they could return for Guehi at the turn of the year, but the Reds may consider Upamecano as an alternative.
The former RB Leipzig man will enter the last 6 months of his Bayern contract in January and as things stand, he has not been convinced to extend his deal. Liverpool could seek to sign him at the start of the year, particularly with the lack of sufficient depth in central defence.
Upamecano would be a fantastic acquisition, given his vast experience playing in the German top-flight. He was prone to defensive errors earlier in his career, but has been transformed into a solid defender under the tutelage of Vincent Kompany at the German champions.
The 26-year-old has completed 91% of his passes this season with 5.3 recoveries per league game. The 26-year-old has also won almost 50% of his duels, operating from the right centre-back role for Bayern. The Reds could pursue a winter deal for him rather than negotiating a pre-contract for a free transfer next summer.
