Fabrizio Romano claims that Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes showed interest in Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori during his time at Bournemouth, suggesting the Reds could move for him this summer.
The Arne Slot era at Anfield has got off to a relatively low-key start to date, with new signings to be expected, especially once Euro 2024 is done and dusted.
Centre-back is an area of the pitch that Liverpool must focus on, with Joel Matip departing the club after eight years, and Calafiori has been linked with a move to Merseyside.
The 22-year-old impressed at the Euros, prior to Italy’s exit at the hands of Switzerland – he didn’t start that game – completing 92.6% of his passes across three starts in the competition, as well as averaging 2.3 aerial duel win per game.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano hinted that Liverpool’s potential move for Calafiori this summer could be aided by Hughes, who scouted him during his time as Bournemouth’s sporting director:
“All these clubs have been scouting him because he’s been fantastic for Bologna and also at the Euros for Italy he is doing really well. For example, Liverpool director Richard Hughes, when he was at Bournemouth, he used to scout Calafiori when he was playing for Roma and Basel.
“He is a player Hughes always appreciated, but at the moment, I am not aware of anything concrete between Liverpool and Bologna.”
Our thoughts on Liverpool signing Calafiori this summer…
Calafiori looked like a superb prospect during his stint at the Euros, impressing with both his quality on the ball and his defensive nous, with one brilliant line-breaking run and assist against Croatia a standout moment.
At 22, the Bologna ace is still such a young player with so much more improving to do in the coming years, and he would add that much-needed depth at centre-back for Slot.
Ibrahima Konate is showing that he cannot be relied upon to stay fit for long periods, which is becoming a concern, while Jarell Quansah still needs to be managed carefully, allowing him to mature at his own pace.
While no specific move has been made for Calafiori, the fact that Hughes seemingly rates him highly can only bode well, suggesting he could be a top target during this transfer window.
