Liverpool are reported to have submitted an enquiry to RB Leipzig over versatile defender Mohamed Simakan, although they aren’t the only club showing interest.
This summer is an important one for Liverpool following the departure of Jurgen Klopp as the new Anfield sporting hierarchy seek to refresh the squad for replacement boss Arne Slot.
Defence, an area the Reds could afford to delay seriously addressing last summer thanks to the emergence of Jarell Quansah, now has to be more of a priority. That is especially the case as Virgil van Dijk gets older, having admitted he could consider his future.
Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sport Germany notes that Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have each “gathered information” on Simakan, letting Leipzig know of their interest by making enquiries.
Leipzig’s stance is said to be one of preferring to keep the 24-year-old Frenchman, although he is not considered off limits for the right price. That number is in the range of €40-€45m (£33.6-£37.8m), while the player himself is described as “open for a new challenge with a top offer”.
Simakan, who played regularly at both centre-back and right-back last season, joined Leipzig in 2021 after initially coming to prominence with Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
Players who have made the switch to the Premier League from the Red Bull family have endured mixed success. Ibrahima Konate has shown plenty of promise since arriving at Anfield but hasn’t hit his full potential because of injuries. Naby Keita had a nightmare with injuries during his Liverpool career, while Christopher Nkunku has barely kicked a ball for Chelsea for the same reason.
On the other hand, Erling Haaland didn’t move to directly from Red Bull Salzburg but has proven a generational success for Manchester City by scoring 90 goals in 98 games for the club so far. Sadio Mane earlier traded Salzburg for England, first joining Southampton in 2014 and later going on to become a Liverpool legend during six years on Merseyside.
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