Liverpool exploring move for £30m “iron barrel” who’s just like Van Dijk

Milos Kerkez is edging toward a move from Bournemouth to Liverpool, with sporting director Richard Hughes discussing the final details with his successor in the Cherries transfer seat.

This in itself is a fantastic deal for Anfield, whose veteran left-back Andy Robertson is an “absolute legend” but one “hanging on in every game” for Arne Slot’s side this season, says pundit Jamie Carragher.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Real Madrid at the end of his Liverpool contract, it was also important for FSG to welcome a successor, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has been picked as the man for the job, signed for £29.5m.

Further change is afoot higher up the field, but Liverpool have already shown a willingness to secure a new centre-back this summer, pushing to sign Dean Huijsen before he rejected a wealth of Premier League interest for Real Madrid.

Why Liverpool need a defender

Virgil van Dijk is now a two-time Premier League winner, dominant and immense as the captain guided his team through the campaign with elite consistency.

It’s brilliant that Van Dijk signed a new deal on Merseyside, extending his stay for two more years, but he turns 34 next month and Liverpool need to find a long-term heir.

That could have been Huijsen, who was hailed as “the perfect left centre-back” by analyst Ben Mattinson after his campaign on the south coast. Complete in an age-belying fashion, the Spain international, only 20, would have secured Liverpool’s backline for years to come, had he joined.

And though FSG are big on acting upon unique market opportunities, they must surely recognise the need for a fallback. Ibrahima Konate arrived in 2021, and no first-team centre-back has since followed him.

Konate, moreover, is being courted by Los Blancos, who want to snap him up as a free agent next summer. Liverpool are currently locked in talks over a new deal with their French defender.

Given Jarell Quansah’s future is also uncertain, a Huijsen alternative to ease the burden on Van Dijk and co would be great, and the Premier League champions have identified the man for the job.

Liverpool begin move for new CB

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have entered the race for Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae, with sources close to the South Korean claiming he will be allowed to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.

With the various parties all seeking a swift resolution, Bayern have reduced their asking price from €50m (£44m) to about €35m (£30m), which would work well for the Reds given their need for reinforcements across a myriad of positions.

With Chelsea and Newcastle United also exploring a move, Liverpool would be wise to take their interest up a notch, ready to pounce.

What Kim Min-Jae would bring to Liverpool

Kim has struggled to truly hit his stride for Bayern, but certainly showcased his quality as an elite-level central defender when in the Serie A with Napoli, heralded as an “iron barrel” of a player by his former teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

According to Luciano Spalletti, former Napoli boss, Kim has the minerals to become “the best centre-back in the world”, keeping 14 clean sheets from 35 matches as the Blues won the Scudetto in 2022/23, a colossus in protecting his side’s goal.

A player capable of getting stuck in and performing with a more elegant touch, Kim’s is the prototypical modern profile, his strength suggesting he would thrive in the rigorous Premier League.

Bayern signed the 28-year-old from Napoli in July 2023 after meeting his £43m release clause, and though he’s since recovered the Bundesliga from Leverkusen after missing out in his debut term, it hasn’t been the smoothest sailing for the left-sided defender, who made four direct errors leading to a goal this term, as per Sofascore.

Still, such lapses haven’t prevented the £194k-per-week titan from producing otherwise impressive performances, completing 93% of his passes, averaging 5.7 ball recoveries per game and winning 65% of his aerial battles.

His aerial dominance, crisp and progressive passing and left-sided berth suggest Kim could be the perfect foil for Van Dijk, especially when data-led site FBref suggest the two players bear a tactical likeness.

Securing a new centre-half who can ease Van Dijk’s defensive burden wouldn’t be a bad thing, especially with Liverpool determined to go one better than this term and compete for silverware across four different major fronts.

There’s clearly a likeness to the players, who both employ confident passing games but maintain creative flair too. Moreover, they are persistent commanders of aerial traffic, directing whipped-in danger away from the box.

If Liverpool wish to maximise the time they have left with their legendary skipper, overloading him with minutes might not actually be the best track to take. Instead, Van Dijk could thrive in an environment that allows him to step away from the action without sending Slot’s system into a spin.

Kim’s similarities to the Dutchman would allow him to do exactly that, regarded in the past as ‘the South Korean Van Dijk.’

Given Quansah was used so sparingly this season, and indeed Konate’s future is uncertain (as is his fitness, routinely missing chunks of the campaign), this would be the perfect, affordable deal for an experienced and dynamic defender who could fill in for the captain or play alongside him.