According to an Italian source, Liverpool are said to be plotting a shock move for Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt.

The Dutchman has become a regular feature at the Allianz since joining the Italian giants from Ajax back in 2019, having made 117 appearances during his three-year spell to date.

Even though the 22-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract in the Serie A, he has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks, in particular to Anfield, and after a fresh update, the Reds have now been put even more firmly into the picture for his signature.

The Latest: Liverpool join the race

In a new report published by Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Liverpool have now ‘joined’ their top-flight rivals Chelsea in the race for De Ligt’s services, with the Reds ‘edging forward’ for a move.

The outlet says to ‘pay attention’ to the Merseysiders, with any big offers coming from England said to be too ‘difficult to refuse’.

It’s believed that Juventus ‘want to keep’ the £63m-rated star and have been trying to tempt him into signing a new deal, but would want him to agree to a decrease in wages, in return for a lower release clause, which opens up the chances of a cheaper move for potential suitors.

The Verdict: Not an essential signing

De Ligt, who was once hailed an “oil tanker” by Mino Raiola, will already have an established relationship with Virgil Van Dijk as a result of the pair representing the Netherlands together, but as solid as a centre-back he is, now is not the right time for Liverpool to be considering a move.

Jurgen Klopp already has the four incredible options of VVD, Matip, Gomez and Konate to choose from, and it seems unnecessary for FSG to be thinking about breaking the bank for the transfer of a player in a position that they don’t even need to cover for.

After spending a club-record £85m fee on the signing of Darwin Nunez, it would be sensible for the club to keep the rest of their pot at bay for the moment and then reassess the situation come next summer when a few individual situations may have altered.