Liverpool are set for a summer of change this summer as a handful of key players have left the club, while Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot on the touchline.
In terms of their defensive options, Ibrahima Konate’s departure is a big blow for the club, with the French international joining Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Earlier this year, Liverpool were linked with a move for Antonio Silva, who has made a massive impression in Portugal due to his exploits with Benfica.
And now, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the 22-year-old is set for a move to Bournemouth this summer.
Antonio Silva set for Bournemouth transfer
In the January transfer window earlier this year, the Reds were linked with a move for a central defender and pursued Marc Guehi before he decided to move to Manchester City.
They didn’t get a defender in that month but agreed a deal to sign Jeremy Jacquet, with the defender remaining at Rennes for the remainder of the season.
The Frenchman has now joined the club and will be available for pre-season, but Liverpool also looked at Silva as a potential reinforcement.
Now, however, it looks like they have to look elsewhere as he is closing in on a move to Bournemouth, with a ‘here we go’ expected soon.
Silva has spent the entirety of his playing career at Benfica and will now move to the south coast after refusing a new contract offer from the Portuguese club.
Do Liverpool need another central defender?
This is a tricky one for the Reds. On paper, they have Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Jacquet as their central defensive options.
However, Van Dijk is 35 and is approaching the twilight years of his career, while Gomez has struggled with his fair share of injury issues over the years.
Leoni is recovering from an ACL injury he sustained on his Liverpool debut and is believed to be months away from returning to full fitness. As for Jacquet, his potential is unquestionable, but it remains to be seen how he adapts to the rigours of the Premier League.
Liverpool are expected to scour the market for potential defensive reinforcements in the coming weeks, but it won’t be Silva, as he is set for a move to the Vitality Stadium.
Maybe the Reds are better off going for an experienced campaigner who can come straight into the team and make an impact as opposed to being a work in progress.
In that sense, missing out on the Portuguese international isn’t the end of the world for the Reds as they still have enough time to look for alternatives.
