One player that was heavily linked with an Anfield switch before the transfer window opened was Dean Huijsen.

In the end, Huijsen chose to make the switch to Real Madrid, which left Liverpool without their main target for centre back.

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“There was not too much fanfare following Dean Huijsen’s £50million move from Bournemouth to Real Madrid, but it is hard to imagine any other transferred player having the same long-term impact,” he said.

“Liverpool might have been tempted by him as the eventual replacement for Virgil van Dijk, but then Huijsen was unlikely to turn down Real, having already elected to represent Spain over his birth nation, the Netherlands.

“The 20-year-old is a class act.

However, recent rumours have linked Quansah with a move to either Borussia Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen due to the lack of playing time Slot gave him in the 2024-25 campaign.

So, it’s not a surprise to see players such as Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande being linked with an Anfield switch.

PlayerGamesGoalsAssistsOusmane Diomande4621Dean Huijsen3631The 2024-25 seasons of Ousmane Diomande and Dean Huijsen in numbers.

The Ivory Coast international would be available for a fee worth around £50million, which is the same as what Huijsen would have cost.

He’s also still only 21 years old, so he has plenty of room to grow.

As mentioned, if Gomez or Quansah are sold on this summer, don’t be surprised if you see Diomande’s name consistently getting linked with a Liverpool move.