Liverpool may have identified Virgil van Dijk successor in Sevilla defender
Loic Bade remains a Sevilla player for now but the interest in the 24-year-old defender is growing with Liverpool among the clubs believed to be keen.
Sevilla were asking for €20m from any clubs wishing to buy Bade across the recently closed transfer window but that figure is expected to rise.
Bade recently agreed a new five-year deal with Sevilla, giving the club some security against the loss of one of their star men.
His talents are no secret with Stuttgart also believed to be interested in the player who joined Sevilla last term from Stade Rennais who had sent the defender out on loan at Sevilla the campaign before.
CaughtOffside have reported that Liverpool considers Bade to be a fit replacement for Virgil van Dijk, who could leave the Premier League powerhouse at the end of the current term.
Sevilla have enjoyed a busy summer transfer window, which was made possible by the big-money sale of Youssef En-Nesyri to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
Despite strong interest from several parties Bade was steadfast in his determination to continue at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, and recently, his new deal is evidence that he is willing to back that desire up.
The Frenchman, who has also drawn the eye of Bayern Munich and PSG, reportedly has a release clause worth in excess of £42m in his newly-minted contract.
Bade turned out for Thierry Henry’s France Under-23 squad for the Olympic Games in Paris and it has been claimed that Liverpool’s scouts are set to keep a close eye on the defender.
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He also played 28 LaLiga games last season for Sevilla and has already played three full matches this campaign, starting all three and playing all 90 minutes.
Bade joined Nottingham Forest on loan in the 2022/23 season but would leave the club without making a first team appearance as his loan spell was terminated early.
Liverpool have favoured Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as their starting centre-backs this season with Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah in reserve.
Van Dijk is the oldest of the Liverpool centre-back quartet by six years and could take up a big money offer from Saudi Arabia which is unberstood to be on the table.
Liverpool didn’t pull the trigger in any pursuits of central defenders across the transfer window with only Federico Chiesa arriving though the Reds have also lined up the future move of Giorgi Mamardashvili of Valencia.
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