Liverpool have one of the best center back pairings in world football when both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are fully healthy and at their best. Over the years, they have had great success with making signings from the Bundesliga, with Konate, formerly of RB Leipzig, standing out among them.
He wasn’t the first Bundesliga center back to make it big at Liverpool either, as former Schalke free agent Joel Matip is one of the biggest examples of Klopp’s brilliant scouting eye.
Even last summer, Klopp found a couple of great deals from the Bundesliga, with midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo playing starring roles in Liverpool returning to the fore as Premier League title contenders.
Now, according to a report from Sky Sports Germany’s Philipp Hinze and Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are interested in another standout defender from RB Leipzig, center back and right back Mohamed Simakan.
Although Liverpool aren’t interested in selling Joe Gomez, Simakan could eventually replace the 27-year-old due to his ability to play at center or right back, and he is arguably a better player than the Reds’ current defender.
Simakan has interest from around the Premier League, with Newcastle also reportedly interested in the 24-year-old as a potential center back alternative if a deal for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi were to fall through.
A star for Strasbourg before joining Leipzig, Simakan has enhanced his reputation around Europe despite being underrated in Premier League circles, as he turned heads in the Champions League with strong displays against eventual winners Real Madrid.
Simakan could be an affordable, high-upside defensive addition for Liverpool who is more than qualified to get starts for Arne Slot’s side immediately in the 2024/25 Premier League season.
It doesn’t seem like Simakan is a priority target, and Sky Sports Germany maintains that talks are far from advanced. But with Liverpool watching him and the player keen on a step up from Leipzig, Simakan is a real possibility before the window closes.
