Over the years, Liverpool have managed the transfer market with diligence and intelligence, always staying one step ahead of their rivals. It worked. Over the past decade, the Reds have won the Champions League, two Premier League titles and many other trophies.
However, with Arne Slott and his team in the trenches after a disastrous year after winning the title, it feels a long way from that thrilling level of success at the moment.
How do we move forward? Well, at FSG we believe change is key. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson left the club this summer, and there has also been recent news about Ibrahima Konate’s future.
The French centre-back appears to have played his last game for the Merseysiders and is set to leave when his contract expires in a month’s time. It goes without saying that he needs to be replaced.
Liverpool plot bid to replace Konate
Liverpool have signed Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in a £60m deal. He joined this summer and has been hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson as a promising player with the potential to be one of the top five centre-backs in the world.
Last weekend, Virgil van Dijk sat dejectedly staring out at the Anfield crowd. It was a tough season, and he carried a lot of weight, speaking to the media on numerous occasions and trying to make sense of Liverpool’s staggering decline.
Jacquet is a talented centre-half, but Liverpool need more players, with sporting director Richard Hughes planning to spearhead the signing of one of the Premier League’s most prominent centre-backs.
According to Sportsboom, Liverpool are considering signing Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven. He is said to be keen to leave north London after helping the team avoid relegation to the Premier League.
Van de Ven, 25, is valued at £90 million, and it goes without saying that Spurs will work hard to retain their star man.
Why Van de Ven would be Liverpool’s dream Konate replacement
If you think Liverpool have had a bad season, give Tottenham a penny for what they think. Of course, it’s all relative, and for the Reds to be flattering to Europa League football couldn’t be more lousy.
However, Van de Ven has the qualities to make a real difference to the team in the slot, with his athleticism and physical strength at the back being described as a “monster” by football writer Elliott Jackson.
The Dutch international’s rare ability is his ability to combine agility and solidity with a crunchy defense that defies any conventional defensive practice. Indeed, this is a winger bouncing around a muscular 6ft 4in frame.
Premier League’s Micky van de Ven | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Match (start) | 13(12) | 35(35) |
Goal + Assist | 0+2 | 4+1 |
touch* | 70.5 | 61.3 |
Exact path* | 55.8 (91%) | 45.7 (90%) |
Opportunities created* | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Loss of ownership* | 6.7 | 5.8 |
Successful. dribble* | 0.3 (50%) | 0.3 (73%) |
Ball recovery rate* | 4.8 | 3.5 |
Tackle + Interception* | 1.6 | 1.7 |
Win a ground duel* | 1.8 (48%) | 2.1 (61%) |
Win an air battle* | 1.5 (49%) | 1.3 (47%) |
Konate has been the rock of Liverpool’s defense for the past five years, but rocks can break and he has struggled throughout the 2025/26 season, right at the epicenter of the team’s decline. A series of mistakes cost Liverpool the certainty that led them to the Premier League title last year.
Van de Ven himself clearly wasn’t perfect, but he’s unlucky in that he’s stuck at the center of Spurs’ frankly incredible decline.
He still stands out. Tottenham’s defense may have been full of holes in recent years, but it’s strange how Van de Ven and Cristian Romero stood out as key players. People who were willing to dig in and save the club from disaster. With Van Dijk getting older and Konate leaving the club, Liverpool could accept that. The French star has struggled this year anyway.
Van de Ven is the real deal and if Liverpool can resolve the imbalance under Slott, they could develop the Dutchman into the heart of their defence, blending perfectly with his exciting compatriot Van Dijk.
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Liverpool need to make more use of their £116m playmaker next season.
