Liverpool are expected to be very active during the upcoming summer transfer window with tons of speculation already surrounding potential player outgoings and incomings.

The Reds are currently flying in Arne Slot’s debut season as head coach, navigating his side to the top spot in the Premier League, at a canter.

Twenty-one wins, seven draws and only one defeat from twenty-nine games has opened up what looks likely to be an insurmountable twelve-point advantage.

Arsenal are the closest challengers, but a catastrophy would have to happen for the Reds to not go on and become champions from this position, with five wins and one draw from the final nine, enough to land the long-awaited second Premier League title.

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Despite this, back-to-back defeats have saw Slot’s side bow out of the UEFA Champions League via penalties against Paris Saint-Germain, whilst becoming unstuck in their quest to secure successive League Cup triumphs, losing to Newcastle at Wembley, subsequently leading to calls for reinforcements to the current squad.

With Virgil van Dijk out of contract in June and remaining no closer to fresher terms, as well as Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konaté both prone to injury, we have decided to look into strengthening the defence with five centre-back names that Liverpool could target.

DEAN HUIJSENChris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images.

Dean Huijsen will most likely be the most popular name on this list.

Although just nineteen years old, the Bournemouth centre-back is playing like an old head on young shoulders, during a debut season in England, leading to the attraction of many top clubs including Liverpool.

The Cherries captured Huijsen from Italian giants Juventus last July, for just £12.8million with the Spaniard putting pen to paper on a six-year contract.

Irrespective of the long-term contract, it will be very difficult for Bournemouth to keep ahold of their star defender beyond the final months of the season, with a £50million release clause allowed to be activated by any club.

Fabrizio Romano has exclusively revealed that Liverpool have already made contact with Huijsen’s representatives and Bournemouth to discuss the foundations of the release clause, ahead of a potential swoop.

If Liverpool are to make a deal happen, then they would need to act swiftly to sneak the Spaniard from under the noses of Chelsea and also Real Madrid, with the defender revealing that he would like to move back to his native country, one day.

MARC GUEHIVince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images.

Crystal Palace and England international, Marc Guehi, is also on Liverpool’s summer shortlist.

DaveOCKop exclusively revealed last week that talks have begun with the defender’s camp, as the Reds remain on the lookout for a new centre-back.

Arne Slot could be given an advantage in any pursuit for Guehi, with the defender about to enter into his final year at Crystal Palace, this June.

The Eagles haven’t budged on their reported £80million asking price that Newcastle failed to meet last summer with four bids rejected, but Liverpool may just need to fork out around £50-60million to secure Guehi’s services.

With many players at risk of departing, the Palace defender would fall under the homegrown quota that is non-negotiable within a 25-man playing squad in the Premier League.

This means that a minimum of eight players should be classed as homegrown, whilst a further seventeen are allowed to register as non-homegrown.

Clubs cannot have more or less than eight homegrown talents, or potential sanctions could be faced.

Liverpool are not the only club monitoring Guehi as Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle’s interest is set to be reignited this term.

JORREL HATO

Young Ajax defender Jorrel Hato has been strongly linked to Liverpool in recent months.

Hato is one of many names apart of the Reds’ shopping list and was invited to Anfield earlier this season via his fellow countryman, Ryan Gravenberch.

The 18-year-old is a versatile asset, with the ability to also play left-back, having being acknowledged by The Athletic’s James Pearce and the very reliable Paul Joyce of The Times in recent days.

The club have even sent scouts to watch the defender.

As Liverpool prepare to go down a younger route for their centre-back search, Hato ticks the criteria and could be available for as little as £25million this summer, but he isn’t starved of options.

The Dutchman is also on the radar of Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid but Liverpool will be hoping their Dutch connections within the squad and Arne Slot can help lure Hato to Merseyside.

NICO SCHLOTTERBECKBorussia Dortmund/BVB.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s name has been regularly mentioned alongside Liverpool in the German media.

The defender, currently of Borussia Dortmund, is experiencing a difficult campaign with the club currently languishing in eleventh and ten points from their aspirations of UEFA Champions League football again next season.

A severe collapse from the Black and Yellow, who sacked former Liverpool man Nuri Sahin, just a few weeks ago.

As for Schlotterbeck, per German journalist Christian Falk that Dortmund remain ‘adamant’ in retaining the defender and are willing to go to the lengths of a renewed contract, alongside the club captaincy.

Many clubs have been alerted by the situation as well as Liverpool, with a price tag of upwards to £50million sufficent to prize Schlotterbeck away from Germany.

But, if Dortmund fail to achieve qualification for next season’s Champions League, then they will have to sell lower due to a greater need for funds.

As things stand, their best chance of reaching their desired destination is to go all the way this year as a Quarter-Final showdown with Barcelona awaits next month.

CASTELLO LUKEBAGetty Images.

Liverpool are regularly listed within the potential buyers for Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba and this continues ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Reds are said to be monitoring the 22-year old alongside a number of other top European clubs.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid are all included in the chase for the Frenchman who has a £74.5million release clause at Leipzig, but they will be forced into decreasing that amount if Champions League qualification is unreachable.

Lukeba would fit the mould of Liverpool’s search for a centre-back who is predominantly left-footed, something that isn’t available in the current crop.

A centre-back signing should be a necessity for Liverpool this summer due to the current situation.

Virgil van Dijk remains at a roadblock regarding his future beyond this season, whilst Ibrahima Konaté will enter his final year with the club.

Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah could both move on, having being linked with departures during the course of the campaign, due to their own personal issues under the new regime.

The Reds won’t want to be left short in such a crucial position.

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