Liverpool plot €116m centre-back raid after Slot confirmation

Liverpool are targeting Marc Guehi, Dayot Upamecano and Ronald Araujo as centre-back reinforcements for 2026 following Giovanni Leoni‘s ACL injury and amid the ongoing uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate.

Reds boss Arne Slot confirmed earlier on Friday that Leoni has suffered a torn ACL and will be out for up to a year, in what is a heartbreaking blow for the highly-rated 19-year-old recruit.

Naturally, the Dutchman was also asked about Marc Guehi, given that Liverpool face Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Anfield club tried to sign the Eagles captain in the summer, but the deal collapsed at the last minute.

Slot refused to speak about Guehi and instead focused on the option he has available. However, behind the scenes, Liverpool are hard at work putting plans in place to sign defensive reinforcements potentially as early as January.

In addition to Leoni’s lengthy absence, the reigning Premier League champions have to contend with the fact that Ibrahima Konate will leave the club on a free transfer next summer if he refuses to extend his contract.

Liverpool eye big-name reinforcements

Should the Frenchman indeed opt to depart, he is expected to complete a move to Real Madrid, although reports now suggest that he also has Premier League suitors.

To potentially replace Konate and Leoni, Liverpool are targeting some big names, with Guehi still among the options on their shortlist. On Thursday, doubts were raised about his willingness to move in January, but TEAMtalk insists that the Reds will seek a deal in the winter.

Elsewhere, BILD reports that Bayern Munich centre-back Dayot Upamecano is on Liverpool’s radar for 2026. Like compatriot Konate, the Frenchman is out of contract next summer and could move on a free.

CaughtOffside, meanwhile, states that the rumoured interest in Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo is ‘genuine.’ He signed a new deal earlier this year that saw his €1 billion release clause drop down to €65 million for the summer and €80m for January 2026.

The trio have a combined Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €115.7m and would all be solid reinforcements. It remains to be seen if Liverpool will go all-in on Guehi again or if they will shift their focus to one of the other options.

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