Liverpool look to strengthen their defense after completing a deal and addressing the gap left by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure
Jeremy Jaquet has already signed for a total of £60m (Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Liverpool are expected to have a busy summer transfer window following the appointment of new manager Andoni Iraola. Despite spending a staggering £446m on new players last summer, this season showed the team still has plenty of room for improvement.
Iraola will introduce the same high-octane front-foot football that has proven so effective at Bournemouth in recent years, meaning Liverpool will switch away from the more conservative approach that Arne Slott had in place before his recent sacking.
All eyes are focused on who the Basque player will sign, with much of the discussion centering on who will replace Mohamed Salah. Any new signing is certain to fit into Iraola’s direct, attacking philosophy.
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However, there is also reason to believe the Reds are planning on adding long-term defensive options, particularly at centre-back. Here, Mirror Football examines what the backline could look like by the end of the summer window.
Jeremy Jacquet joined the club for a fee of £60 million in early February and will be remembered as Slot’s last signing at Liverpool. Jaquet had agreed to join the Reds from Rennes at the end of the 2025/26 season.
The 20-year-old is a very welcome addition, considering the departure of Ibrahima Konate has left a huge hole in the center of defence. The Frenchman recently left the club as a free agent when his contract expired.
In addition to Jaquet, Joe Gomez and captain Virgil van Dijk, Iraola could also call up youngster Giovanni Leoni. However, the talented Italian is still developing and has yet to feature in a Premier League game as he spent the entire season on the sidelines recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Liverpool would therefore benefit from bringing in another experienced centre-back to bridge the gap between youngsters Leoni and Jacquet and Van Dijk and Gomez, whose contracts expire next year.
Sporting CP’s Gonzalo Inácio would be a great long-term signing. The Portuguese defender has reportedly been linked with a move to Anfield for years, but remains on the radar of Liverpool.
Gonzalo Inácio has been a target for Liverpool for several years (Image: Getty)
The 24-year-old is sure on the ball and has exceptional passing width, allowing him to break through the lines and slot seamlessly into Iraola’s set-up. He is also left-footed, allowing the club to protect their defensive future should Van Dijk move on.
Inacio is attracting a lot of interest, with many top clubs vying for his signature. However, despite having a £55m release clause in his contract, Sporting may be willing to negotiate for less than that figure.
Moving to the right-back role, the position posed a lot of problems in the slot last season with Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure, Conor Bradley’s injury and Jeremy Frimpong in the mix. This meant that the responsibility on the right side of defense was divided between Gomez, Dominik Szoboszlai, Calvin Ramsey and Curtis Jones, with no one able to decide their position precisely.
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Bradley is expected to return and reclaim his position sometime in September. Provided he stays fit and plays this season, there’s no reason why the defender, who joined Liverpool at the age of 16, can’t effectively replace Alexander-Arnold, the club’s raw gem. Meanwhile, Frimpong and youngster Ramsey will continue to be used as back-up options.
At left-back, Liverpool were left with a much lighter squad after club legend Andy Robertson left for Tottenham, with Milos Kerkes the only other left-back in the squad. However, the Reds may not need to strengthen their position in the transfer market, with some reports suggesting that Kostas Tsimikas could resume his role as a substitute player upon his return from a season-long loan to Roma.
So, here’s how Liverpool’s defense will look heading into the 2026-27 season under a new and promising manager:
Right-back: Conor Bradley, Jeremy Frimpong, Calvin Ramsey.
Center backs: Virgil van Dijk, Gonzalo Inacio, Jeremy Jacquet, Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni.
Left back: Milos Kerkes, Kostas Tsimikas.
