It's claimed Liverpool is interested in signing Sporting Lisbon center-back Ousmane Diomande as a possible partner for Virgil van Dijk.

Diomande, 21, is coming off the back of a season in which he won a league and cup double in Portugal, making 46 appearances in all competitions.



Liverpool is considering its defensive options ahead of next season, as uncertainty lingers over a number of the club's current center-backs.

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While Van Dijk is staying put for another two years, there is uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate's future ahead of the expiration of his contract next year, while Joe Gomez is coming back from hamstring surgery and Jarell Quansah has just experienced a regressive campaign.

The Reds were interested in Dean Huijsen, but he plumped for Real Madrid, and a link has now emerged with another young defender in Diomande.

A report by Portuguese outlet A Bola said that Liverpool has taken the "first step" towards signing Diomande, while Crystal Palace is also mentioned as a possible destination for the player, as the Eagles look for a possible replacement for Marc Guehi, who could leave Selhurst Park this summer.

Another player that Liverpool has been linked with is Rennes' 19-year-old center-back Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal.

Liverpool and Newcastle are both said to be interested in Ait Boudlal, and while Newcastle has reportedly met with the player, the Reds are reported by Le360 Sport to have gone one step further and made a concrete offer to him

There is also interest in Ait Boudlal from other clubs in France as well as two clubs in Spain.



In October last year, Ait Boudlal was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of world's best 2006-born players.

The 6-foot-3 Marrakesh-born defender developed at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in his home country of Morocco, before signing his first professional contract with French club Rennes in July 2024.

Ait Boudlal made six appearances for Rennes' second team, and also turned out for the Under-19s on a couple of occasions during the first half of the 2024-25 season.

In February, he was sent on loan to French second tier side Amiens for the remainder of the campaign, and went on to make nine appearances, with eight of those coming as starts.

Le360 Sport reports that Ait Boudlal is noted for "his ability to pass, his defensive intelligence, and a maturity rare for his age."


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