Liverpool will hope to take a huge step towards Champions League qualification when they visit Manchester United on Sunday.
The reigning Premier League champions may have failed in their attempts to retain their top flight crown, but Arne Slot’s side are on course to finish in the top five and qualify for Europe’s top club competition next term.
At present the Merseyside outfit sit fourth in the table, although they are eight points clear of sixth-placed Brighton and Hove Albion.
Victory at Old Trafford would give the Reds a huge boost in their pursuit of a top five spot, but in the meantime it has emerged that Liverpool are monitoring a Serie A defender.
As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool have identified Napoli defender Sam Beukema as a possible replacement for Ibrahima Konate.
The report claims that the Reds are working to assess possible options in case Konate, 26, leaves Anfield upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
Beukema is firmly on Liverpool’s radar (Photo: Nicola Ianuale/Alamy)
Beukema, 27, joined Napoli from fellow Italian side Bologna last summer and has so far impressed during his debut season in Naples.
The centre-back has made 30 appearances across all competitions so far, impressing at the heart of the Serie A champions’ defence.
Liverpool boss Slot is said to be a huge admirer of the player, having attempted to sign him for previous side Feyenoord, prior to his move to Italy.
The report suggests that those in charge of the Reds’ recruitment are actively working to identify possible targets to bolster their defence this summer, with Konate’s future on Merseyside still very much uncertain.
Beukema signed a long-term deal when joining Napoli last summer and is therefore contracted to the club until the end of the 2029/30 season.