Liverpool told Prem rivals will demand ‘huge fee’ for top-rated defender transfer

Liverpool have been told it would take a “huge fee” for a Premier League rival to accept the exit of their best defender, who they only signed in the summer.

The Reds could see a good deal of movement in defence in the summer. Virgil van Dijk will be out of contract and Ronald Araujo is currently set to return to Barcelona.

If both of those exits occur, Liverpool will surely be on the hunt for two new defenders.

TEAMtalk is aware that one of the men they’re interested in is Brighton’s Luka Vuskovic. The centre-back only joined the club in the summer, on a £50million deal, and is currently their top-rated defender, with an average FotMob score per game of 7.28 – which makes him the 11th best central defender in the Premier League.

The Seagulls are not going to let go of their prized asset easily, reports Pete O’Rourke.

He tells Football Insider: “It will take a huge fee to even make Brighton entertain losing him, which they’re not. They want to keep hold of him. He’s just arrived and is having a great impact down on the south coast.

“There’s been talk of Real Madrid also being interested in Vuskovic, and I’m sure Liverpool, as well as a lot of the top guns, are keeping tabs on the Croatian international. He does look like a player with huge potential who probably will only get better and better.”

READ MORE: Liverpool reach decision on activating winger’s £50m release clause in January

Top clubs interested in Luka Vuskovic

TEAMtalk is aware there are indeed a whole host of top clubs tracking Vuskovic after his stellar start to life with Brighton.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two sides alongside Liverpool who sources describe as ‘seriously interested’ in the Croatian defender.

Bayern Munich and Chelsea have also been monitoring him for some time.

There is a sense that Vuskovic is open to moving to Bayern, having impressed in the Bundesliga with Hamburg last term.

But as is suggested, Brighton are under no pressure to sell their star, who is contracted until 2031.

So while some of Europe’s elite are watching, they might have to continue to do so until such point that they’re ready to stump up a large sum to prise him away from the AMEX.