Liverpool’s centre-back situation is in a strange limbo at the moment.
They arguably have the best defence in England right now, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté conceding only two goals in their opening seven Premier League games.
Yet, with Van Dijk’s contract situation unresolved and backup Joe Gomez looking to leave the club, there is a realistic chance they could be starting next season with Konaté and youngster Jarell Quansah at the back.
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Quansah himself has only been involved in League Cup action since being substituted for Konaté at half-time on the opening day of the season.
And yet, links to new centre-back signings are few and far between. One of the most consistent this season so far has been Brazilian youngster Vitor Reis.
On Football Insider’s The Inside Track podcast, Pete O’Rourke reported that Liverpool are still doing their “due diligence” on Reis, alongside Real Madrid and Arsenal with all three clubs ready to make a move for the Brazilian teenager.
The 18-year old’s contract at Brazilian giants Palmeiras currently runs until December 2028 and reportedly includes an £84m release clause. For that price, Liverpool would want to be sure that Reis could be the long-term solution at the position.
The report also says that Reis is eyeing a move to Europe so that he can play Champions League football, but Palmeiras are keen to keep his services for as long as they possibly can.
Who is Vitor Reis? And is he ready to replace Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool?
Amazingly, Reis only made his debut for the Palmeiras first team this past June (2024). He has become a mainstay in the side since then, playing 13 full-90’s in the subsequent 20 games.
In the past, he has been described as a ‘complete’ player over in his native Brazil, and it’s easy to see why.
Reis’ underlying defensive numbers in this period are also very good. He has a good 2.28 tackle & interceptions per-90 (Van Dijk has 2.86, for reference) and averages a higher tackle rate than the Liverpool man, at 60% to Van Dijk’s 50%.
With him being only 18, this demonstrates an exceptional level of talent that Liverpool certainly could develop. With the improvement seen in Ibrahima Konaté over such a short time period this season, Arne Slot working with Reis would be a scary prospect indeed.
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