Liverpool is looking to strengthen their defense, and former Reds full-back Glen Johnson has explained to Goal why targeting Murillo of Nottingham Forest and Micky van de Ven of Tottenham makes perfect sense for the club. Another transfer window will open this summer, and the Premier League giants at Anfield need to reinforce the center of their backline.
Konaté is set to leave, and Van Dijk is approaching 35 years old. Ibrahima Konaté continues to play out his contract on Merseyside, and the French international appears destined to become a free agent. The 26-year-old center-back will leave a significant gap that needs filling in a crucial area of the team. Club captain Virgil van Dijk will stay for another year, with 12 months remaining on his deal, but the experienced Dutchman will turn 35 in July, and a long-term successor for the Premier League and Champions League winner must be found.
Liverpool spent heavily in 2025, breaking British transfer records along the way, with huge sums invested in attacking talents such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez were also brought in to fill full-back positions, but the focus may now shift to the center of a defense that has shown signs of wear in 2026. The Reds have already been linked with several players currently at rival English top-flight clubs. Exciting Brazilian Murillo has been catching the eye at Forest, putting him on the radar of multiple clubs, while the strength and speed of Van de Ven could be lured away from North London, even if Tottenham manage to avoid relegation this summer.
Would Murillo and Van de Ven be useful additions for Liverpool? Asked whether Premier League experience should be Liverpool’s priority, Johnson said in an exclusive interview with Goal: “Possibly. I think Premier League experience is important in any position they’re trying to strengthen, because it’s not just about improving the position – they need to compete with whoever ends up being the champion of the league. It’s not as straightforward as signing someone with that experience; they just need to be good enough. But I definitely think they’ve already proven their value; they don’t have time to buy a 20-year-old who might become the best player, the best center-back in five or six years – they need to start competing now. So those two seem like the obvious choices if you had to pick from the Premier League, but whether they’re good enough to reach that level and compete for titles, if they get the chance, we’ll never know.”
Should Liverpool sign two center-backs this summer? When pressed further on whether Liverpool should look to sign two center-backs instead of merely replacing Konaté, Johnson added: “They probably need two, but going against what I just said – one who can step into the position now and has enough quality to compete, and then another who could come in and replace them in three or four years. They haven’t done that in the past, but that would be a sensible option for me. That doesn’t prove it will work, but they need a center-back now and will need to replace another in a few years.”
