Giovanni Leoni becomes much more important to Liverpool if £69m transfer goes through - opinion

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Nottingham Forest’s Murillo is the latest centre-back target to be linked with a transfer to Liverpool.The Brazilian is one of the Premier League’s most imposing centre-backs and an exciting prospect for FSG’s defensive rebuild. Take your pick between two of our biggest moments in recent memory 🙌 Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images/Getty Images For The Premier League Giovanni Leoni could be Liverpool’s best ball-playing centre-back Liverpool are in the race for Murillo, and he could well be at Anfield at the start of next season.

Speaking of Van Dijk, he will eventually need phasing out of the starting XI, and if Liverpool are going for Murillo now, it suggests there won’t be a world-class ball player added to the heart of the defence. Murillo isn’t the only centre-back on Liverpool’s summer shopping list.

Is he even better than Maldini? 😱 Photo credit: Getty Images/Chris Brunskill/Fantasista Without a technical foil like Leoni — who mirrors Van Dijk’s composure and long-range vision — a Murillo-KonatE pairing risks turning Liverpool from a ball-dominant side into a reactive one. Leoni isn’t just an option; he is the tactical insurance policy for a post-Van Dijk era.READ MORE: How Fabrizio Romano’s latest update puts Liverpool on a collision course with BarcelonaJoin Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox