Liverpool must make move for 'very strong' star, he'd cost £80m

Liverpool must make move for 'very strong' star, he'd cost £80m Liverpool still have a lot of work that they need to do on their team. The Anfield outfit may have spent over £600 million on new players over the last couple of years but, there are still a couple of problem areas among their ranks. And, with the sheer number of players who's contracts expire at the end of the current season, there could be a lot of gaps for them to plug. Obviously, since they're one of the biggest clubs in the world and managed to qualify for the Champions League, they shouldn't have any problem enticing players to join them. But, since they've ran out of non-homegrown spots among their ranks, some serious changes clearly need to be made. The transfer rumours have never stopped being shared and now, the Reds may have just found their perfect target. Jarrad Branthwaite would cost Liverpool £80m if they want to sign him Liverpool's defence has been massively improved over the last couple of years. This season especially with both Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet playing important roles in Andoni Iraola's plans . However, since Virgil van Dijk's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and Araujo's deal isn't guaranteed to be made permanent, there could end up being a couple more gaps for them to plug in the future. That's why Liverpool's recent links with Jacobo Ramon, Nico Schlotterbeck and Jarrad Branthwaite all make a lot of sense. Of course, some deals would be harder to agree upon than others but, according to Football Insider, signing Branthwaite would end up costing the Reds around £80 million. "Everton still believe that centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is an £80million player, sources have told Football Insider," they wrote . "The Toffees have no plans to cash in on the 24-year-old, and still regard him as one of the Premier League's best defenders when he is fit. "Sources say that while the Merseysiders do not want to lose the defender, they are confident that he will net them an eye-watering sum one day. "Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider last week that Liverpool are working on a shock move to sign Branthwaite next summer. "The ex-recruitment chief outlined that the Reds have had scouts watching the defender at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on several occasions of late. "Brown made it clear that Liverpool are doing their "due diligence" on Branthwaite, and believe he "ticks a lot of boxes" as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk." Liverpool signing Jarrad Branthwaite makes too much sense One of the main things that Liverpool are going to struggle with over the next couple of transfer windows is the number of non-homegrown players that they can sign. Of course, the Reds can move some players on to make room for new ones but, eventually, they're going to run out of players that they're happy to get rid of. That's why homegrown talent such as Adam Wharton and Branthwaite should be on top of their shortlist . For some positions among their ranks such as right-wing, signing someone homegrown isn't likely to be possible due to the lack of talent that England have in that area but, for defence and midfield, the Reds have many options. Branthwaite's injury history is obviously rather concerning but, since he currently plays for Everton, the move to Liverpool for him would be perfect. Obviously, the Toffees would have to be majorly convinced to sell the defender to their arch-rivals but, if the Reds put enough money in a bid, a deal could potentially be agreed. Many other defensive targets could also be explored but, of the lot, the " very strong " defender seems to be Liverpool's best option.