According to transfer insider Mark Brus in The Daily Briefing, Liverpool have made Luka Vuskovic their leading centre-back target as the club intensifies plans for life after Virgil van Dijk.

Brus reports that Liverpool’s interest in the 19-year-old is particularly strong and has been developing since his impressive loan spell with Hamburg last season. Senior figures at Anfield were apparently surprised when Tottenham Hotspur allowed Vuskovic to join Brighton a few months ago. While Spurs negotiated a 20% sell-on clause and matching rights on future bids, they did not secure a buy-back clause, a detail that has reportedly encouraged Liverpool as they assess the market for elite young defenders.

Vuskovic is said to rank alongside Levi Colwill on Liverpool’s shortlist. However, Chelsea’s determination to keep Colwill and discuss a new contract means the Brighton defender may represent a more realistic target.

Brighton are surely aware that keeping hold of Vuskovic beyond next summer could prove difficult. Nevertheless, any interested club would likely need to pay in a fee in the region of £85-90 million to secure his services, with four years still remaining on his contract come the end of the season.

Liverpool still remain undeterred. They believe Vuskovic is a huge talent and a defender ideally suited to Andoni Iraola’s style of play, but it should be said that reports elsewhere claim the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are watching the situation too.

Frankly, it would be surprising if they didn’t.