Liverpool scouts have just been spotted keeping an eye on a defensive star in the Champions League, according to recent reports, as they set their sights on a transfer battle against Arsenal.
The Reds’ defensive frailties were on show once again against Manchester City at the Etihad, and they’re fortunate that it’s Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal which has stolen the headlines. For the umpteenth time this season, the champions came undone all too easily as Pep Guardiola eased to a 3-0 victory in his 1000th game as a manager.
Arne Slot, whilst reflecting on the defeat, took the time to have his say on Van Dijk’s disallowed header – telling reporters that he believes Andy Robertson was not interfering with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s view.
PGMOL chief refereeing officer Howard Webb has since issued a response to Liverpool’s complaints, saying that it was “not unreasonable” to rule Van Dijk’s effort out on Sunday afternoon.
Alas, as the argument continues, Liverpool remain in a difficult position and as low as eighth in the Premier League. No one saw it coming from a side who comfortably strode towards the title last season, but Slot must now find a permanent solution.
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Whether that means returning to the transfer market is the big question, especially in search of defensive reinforcements.
Liverpool and Arsenal scouts watching Wilfried Singo
As reported by Turkish outlet Sabah, Liverpool scouts were spotted watching Singo in Galatasaray’s dominant 3-0 win against Ajax in the Champions League last week.
The Gunners also had officials present to check on the right-back’s progress as they seek support for Jurrien Timber, with Ben White’s injury issues making him an unreliable deputy for the Dutchman.
And the Ivorian played his part as his side kept a clean sheet and made it three wins from four Champions League games, in a run of form that includes a win against Liverpool.
The Reds felt Singo’s quality in full as he kept Cody Gakpo quiet down their left-hand side and Galatasaray held on to secure a famous 1-0 victory at the end of September.
Singo enjoyed an excellent game against the Reds, losing possession just once, making four recoveries and winning over half of his aerial duels. Gakpo, meanwhile, was limited to just three touches in the Galatasaray box and made just one pass into the final third.
The 24-year-old has been on the rise for a few years now and interest from both Arsenal and Liverpool should come as little surprise. Described as “intelligent” by former AS Monaco teammate Thilo Kehrer, Singo could be destined for the Premier League in 2026 in what would be the biggest move of his career so far.
Liverpool's "generational" Doku regen is destined to take the #11 from Salah
Heading into Liverpool’s highly anticipated clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday night, one obvious player was stealing all the headlines.
Indeed, it was billed as the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Anfield in the Champions League, but the former Reds prodigy turned Los Blancos star only came on for the final exchanges.
Thankfully, Arne Slot’s resurgent side backed up a 2-0 win over Aston Villa with a superb showing against Xabi Alonso’s challengers, as a full team effort guided the Reds to a memorable 1-0 win on Europe’s grandest stage.
It was a phenomenal performance but there was perhaps an even better display post-game from skipper Virgil van Dijk. Keen to dismiss Trent as a talking point, he simply responded to being asked whether he was going to speak to the right-back with one word: “No.”
So, any talk of a meltdown has subsided now, as Liverpool look to be slowly returning to the polished machine they were last season when the Premier League title was triumphantly lifted.
How Liverpool downed Madrid
There must be something in the water on Merseyside that sees Liverpool raise their game whenever the LaLiga giants stroll into town.
In 2024, the Reds cruised to a 2-0 victory over the Spanish titans, with Alexis Mac Allister on the score sheet that night.
Deja vu occurred on Tuesday evening; therefore, as another comfortable victory saw the former Brighton and Hove Albion star pop up with the decisive match-winner.
Mac Allister headed home Dominik Szoboszlai’s inch-perfect delivery, with the South American also managing to come off at the end of the clash with 100% of his tackles won.
Szoboszlai offered far more than just being a classy operator from set-pieces, with a total of five shots registered by the Hungarian, only for Thibaut Courtois to have another unbelievable night against Slot’s men.
Come the end of the contest, journalist Bence Bocsak even boldly stated that the classy number eight was the “best midfielder on the pitch”.
That’s high praise, indeed, considering the visitors boasted Jude Bellingham in their ranks, but there was no fear in Liverpool’s game, coming up against some of these world-class talents, as evidenced in Conor Bradley’s ice-cold display.
Bradley – who noted that he wasn’t “fazed at all” after the match – came up against 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up Vinicius Junior, and had him in his pocket all night long, heroically winning seven duels and three tackles.
Yet, there is one more Liverpool hero who could be turning into Slot’s very own Philippe Coutinho in front of our eyes.
Slot has found Liverpool's new Coutinho
Coutinho is remembered for being an exceptional midfield talent at Anfield, capable of lighting up Champions League occasions with his trickery and skill.
His final season for the Reds saw the Brazilian fire home a ridiculous five strikes from five Champions League clashes, with ex-Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston once stating that Coutinho was the “absolute jewel” in their crown.
LW
106
37 + 26
AM
84
15 + 18
Johnston also stated that he provided Liverpool with “the best of both worlds” in terms of his audacious tricks and flicks, but also his hard work and adaptability for the cause, having often been moved to the left wing during his Anfield career.
That worked a treat, too, with 37 of his 54 career strikes for the red half of Merseyside coming from the left flank.
Florian Wirtz very much put in a Coutinho-like shift against Alonso’s men on Wednesday evening, as the easily scapegoated German was equal parts skill and equal parts grit down the left channel, to ensure a 1-0 win was secured.
Only eight of his 197 games for Bayer Leverkusen would come down this channel, but he looked a natural from this spot against Madrid, with a whopping five key passes amassed come the end of the tie and completing his one and only tackle.
The big-money summer signing has not been at his best in Liverpool colours just yet but this certainly provided hope for the future. There is a player in there, for sure.
Moreover, Wirtz completed all 100% of his dribbles as a constant Coutinho-esque threat for the visitors from Spain to keep tabs on.
He also covered a staggering 11.37km of the pitch just from energetic runs alone, with the aforementioned Johnston also once praising Coutinho for his ability to “keep running.”
In an ideal world, Wirtz would want to play in that preferred number 10 position for Slot and Co week in, week out.
But, with an “outrageous” performance now under his belt on the left – as Liverpool-based account Anfield Wrap described it – the £116m summer buy could slowly be morphing into a Coutinho-like presence, with the goals and assists hopefully flowing soon.
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Liverpool produced their best performance of the season to defeat Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Five years ago, Jurgen Klopp watched his Liverpool team crumble as injuries overwhelmed them. They had just won the Premier League, and the year before, christened what was to be a historic chapter when the boss led them to victory in the Champions League.
Lightning has struck twice. Arne Slot dominated the English game last year and won the title with such confidence, but Liverpool have fallen apart after a summer of significant spending, faulty across any number of areas and bereft of fluency and coherence.
There is maybe a need for patience, and for allowing these new cogs to connect with the Slot machine, but then the flip side of that would be that there is no excusing the error-strewn displays, and inability to react to opposition approaches.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher called it a crisis, with the Merseysiders having lost four Premier League matches on the bounce.
And while many exciting attacking signings were made, with the full-back ranks reshaped, Liverpool are leaving so much to be desired defensively, and changes are surely needed.
Liverpool's need for centre-backs
Virgil van Dijk has for so long been a pillar of strength and leadership at Liverpool. Both things remain true, but the captain turned 34 in July and, while still immense, lacks the structure around him to give rise to his finest football.
To put that another way, Liverpool are a bit of a mess at the back, and Van Dijk has been carried along with the current across recent weeks.
Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have overseen a stylistic restructure across Liverpool’s backline, and this has knocked things out of kilter. Questions must be asked of the strategy behind adding Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez to the ranks, neither of whom appear to be glove-tight fits.
And the fumbled deal for Crystal Palace centre-half Marc Guehi has aggravated the issue. Liverpool sold Jarell Quansah this summer, and Giovanni Leoni, 18, is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury on his debut. Guehi was needed, but Liverpool left it late, and the Eagles didn’t want to play ball after missing out on targets of their own.
With that in mind, it appears the Reds have set their sights on a bid for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. According to Spanish sources, Liverpool joined by Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid in angling for a move in 2026.
The France international is out of contract at the end of the term, and while the Bundesliga giants are desperate to seal his renewal, the 27-year-old may be tempted by lucrative offers from the Premier League and La Liga.
Why Liverpool want to sign Upamecano
Liverpool struck gold in the past when they landed a talented defender from the Bundesliga on a free transfer. Indeed, Joel Matip played a defining role in the Klopp era, playing 201 games for the club, scoring 11 goals and supplying six assists.
He won the Premier League and the Champions League among further honours, notably playing in Divock Origi for the Belgian’s conclusive goal against Tottenham in Madrid, six years ago.
It all started when the Cameroonian agreed to join Klopp’s nascent project in February 2016, arriving at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
Van Dijk has had many partners at the back, but when Matip was fully-fit and firing beside him, Klopp’s behemoths formed quite the partnership.
Now, with Upamecano approaching the end of his journey at the Allianz Arena, FSG are desperate to capitalise once again.
Bayern signed the Frenchman from divisional rivals RB Leipzig in 2021 for a reported £38m fee. He had been described as an “elite talent and a joy to watch” by scout Jacek Kulig before his move to Bayern.
Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano
And he’s gone from strength to strength since. Indeed, the tough-tackling star has polished his skillset to a standard that would befit a starring, much-scrutinised role in Slot’s Liverpool side. Should Liverpool pull this off, they may even forget all about that botched bid for Guehi.
Hailed for his “sensational” defensive ability by writer Mohammed Butt, Upamecano has the experience, athleticism and technical quality to make his mark on the Premier League, perhaps even bringing a more complete brand than someone like Guehi.
Van Dijk will expect to captain Liverpool next season, and the Dutchman’s cultured shift into his veteran years suggests that, with a more stable framework around him, he could see his club achieve their goals.
Guehi might have the experience within the English game, but Upamecano would fancy himself a cut above, boasting a wealth of top-level experience and with much silverware in the bank.
In 2025, he has also, crucially, established himself as a starting centre-back for Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus side, and with the World Cup on the horizon, this tells much of his quality and the faith of those above him.
Bayern Munich
164
5 (10)
RB Leipzig
154
4 (3)
France
34
2 (0)
FC Liefering
16
0 (0)
A ball-playing defender, data-driven platform FBref suggest that there is a likeness between Upamecano and former Anfield star Quansah, though Slot would hope to bring in a more refined and cultured presence than the up-and-comer he deemed unfit for a starring role in his project.
FBref reveal that, over the past 12 months, Upamecano ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion and progressive passes, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 11% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for recoveries made per 90. Clearly, he’s got the skills and physicality to succeed in the Premier League.
Though Liverpool remain in the mix for Guehi, his free agency will attract the biggest sharks across the continent.
Not only would the £166k-per-week Upamecano prove a worthy fallback, but he might even be the better pick.
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This Liverpool mainstay has flattered to deceive this season.
Arsenal secured a seventh consecutive victory and extended their lead at the top of the Premier League this weekend, but not everyone was happy with what they saw at the Emirates.
The Gunners appear in unstoppable form and they capitalised on a weekend where Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all lost by securing a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace to cement their status as the current favourites to win the title.
Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice were sensational in the win, as was Jurrien Timber, who is fast becoming the standout right-back in world football.
The Netherlands international however called for calm ahead of Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash against Brighton: “It is good to stay neutral, and not to get too high.
“Obviously, we’ve been doing well, but it’s still early in the season, and we just have to keep getting better game by game.
“The next game is already in three days, which is a (Carabao) Cup match (against Brighton), and the next Premier League game (against Burnley) is going to be tough as well.
“So, let’s keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard, and then from there, we’ll see what happens.”
Stelling reveals he turned TV off during Arsenal win over Palace
Arsenal’s bid to land their first league title in 22 years has been built on a remarkable defence which has shipped just three goals, and only one from open play, in their 13 fixtures across all competitions.
They have of course dominated in the opposition box as well, scoring just five of their 16 league goals from open play, and former Soccer Saturday presenter Jeff Stelling was disgusted by the lack of expansive football during the win over Palace.
“They can’t keep relying on set plays, they just can’t,” he said on talkSPORT on Monday morning.
He continued: “I love some of the Arsenal players, I love Saka, I love Odegaard, I love Eze. But please, please be just a bit more expansive. I mean watching Arsenal against Palace, was watching paint dry. It was purgatory. I started watching that match, and I had enough of it before they had a shot. I’d turned over by then, to watch Villa versus City, which was a much better game.”
Arsenal’s clean sheet against Palace was their fifth in succession, And Timber is proud of their tough to play against style: “Everyone plays a part in it, but it’s a good thing and a good foundation to build on.
“From that standard, you just have to keep getting better and be consistent in what we do, and then throughout the whole season, hopefully we’ll turn it into something beautiful.
“It gives you confidence and it shows that we’re doing really well, and also, if it’s for multiple games in a row, it says something about consistency.
“We just have to keep improving, and look at what we can do better, but also take that feeling with you, that confidence and go into the next game with the same mindset.”
Mikel Arteta awaits news on injuries sustained to William Saliba, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, which is perhaps the only damp spot on an otherwise flawless October for the Gunners.