Liverpool have been given a boost if they wish to sign a highly-rated young defender, with the player believed to be very keen on an Anfield move.
The season is not over, the Champions League quarter-finals beckon and a top-four finish is still being chased — but at Anfield, planning for the summer is already well underway.
And from everything emerging this week, it is shaping up to be one of the most significant rebuilds since Arne Slot walked through the door, but not quite last summer’s mammoth spree.
Liverpool are reportedly pursuing Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon in what could become a major double winger overhaul.
Cody Gakpo, who has divided opinion throughout the campaign, is being offered to potential suitors by intermediaries, with the Dutchman’s future increasingly uncertain despite having signed a contract extension to 2030 only last August.
Gordon, a lifelong Liverpool fan who came agonisingly close to joining before signing a long-term deal with Newcastle, remains at the top of Slot’s wish list if a left-wing upgrade is to be made (TEAMtalk).
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Gordon isn’t the only Newcastle player on FSG’s radar either, with some reports claiming Liverpool are in the race for Italy star Sandro Tonali as well.
The right side of defence also needs serious attention.
Conor Bradley has been out since January after suffering a serious knee injury against Arsenal and will not be seen again this season. Jeremie Frimpong has also been hampered by hamstring issues throughout his debut year on Merseyside.
Finding a reliable, long-term right-back option for next summer is now a clear priority for sporting director Richard Hughes.
But that is not the only defensive area Liverpool are scouting.
Roggerio Nyakossi wants to join Liverpool
According to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, covered by Sport Witness, Liverpool have turned their attention to a young centre-back quietly making a name for himself in the Belgian top flight.
Roggerio Nyakossi, a 22-year-old Swiss defender, has caught the eye during a standout season for OH Leuven, where he has been since joining from Marseille in January 2025.
This campaign he has started 17 of 18 league games, averaging over four clearances per match and contributing three goals — an impressive return for a central defender.
The club have compared him to Ezechiel Banzuzi, who left OH Leuven for RB Leipzig last summer for £14 million, and the tag of “the new Banzuzi” has followed Nyakossi ever since.
The route to signing him, however, is not entirely straightforward.
Marseille hold a buyback clause on the player, the exact price of which has not been disclosed. If the French club choose to exercise that option, Liverpool would be blocked from pursuing him further.
If they do not, OH Leuven are expected to demand a ‘substantial fee’ — though one that would almost certainly fall below the £14 million they received for Banzuzi.
Liverpool, the report states, appear ‘willing’ to pay the fee required.
Crucially, Nyakossi would “very much like” to join Liverpool, handing Slot’s side further encouragement.
For Liverpool, landing a hungry, improving centre-back with top-flight pedigree for modest outlay would tick several boxes at once. Whether Marseille get in the way remains the key question.
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