Liverpool Transfer News: Liverpool have Luka Vuskovic on their shortlist for next summer and are regularly monitoring the Brighton centre-back, according to Sky Sport Germany. The 19-year-old Croatian signed for the Seagulls from Tottenham in July in a club-record deal worth up to £50m, and his contract runs until 2031 with no release clause available next summer. His current valuation sits around £87m, or €100m. The report adds that Vuskovic is very happy under Fabian Hürzeler, although his dream is to join Real Madrid one day.

What Vuskovic brings

The appeal is easy to see. At 6ft 4in, Vuskovic brings aerial dominance and a goal threat, shown by his header from Maxim De Cuyper’s corner against Leeds in September. He played all 90 minutes when Brighton beat Arsenal 3-0, the only points the league leaders dropped in their first ten games.

The concerns are about experience. This is his first Premier League season; he gave away seven fouls in his first five league games, and Hürzeler said the Premier League “will educate him” after the Leeds match.

Why Liverpool need a centre-back

Liverpool’s need is real. Ibrahima Konaté left on a free transfer in July, and Virgil van Dijk is 35 with a contract that expires in June 2027. Jeremy Jacquet arrived from Rennes for £60m, while Giovanni Leoni, 19, tore his cruciate ligament on his Liverpool debut. Andoni Iraola, appointed in June to bring a more aggressive, front-foot style, has seen his side concede nine goals in their first nine league games and lose 1-0 to Arsenal on 1 November.

Should Liverpool pay £87m for a teenage centre-back?

Not at that price. Brighton paid up to £50m in July for a teenager in his first Premier League season, and no release clause means Brighton, not Liverpool, would set the fee, with a player who reportedly dreams of Real Madrid.

Iraola’s pressing game suits a tall centre-back who is comfortable on the ball, so the profile is right, and the timing is wrong. Jacquet and Leoni already supply the youth. What Liverpool lack is a proven starter beside Van Dijk who can play 35 league games now, and a second teenage project would leave the back line young, untested and leaning on a captain who is out of contract in 2027.

Keep tracking Vuskovic, but spend first on an experienced centre-back and revisit him only if Brighton’s £87m valuation drops. Paying that sum for a project would answer next year’s question and leave this season’s weakness untouched.