Liverpool told to pay €50 million to sign defender who could become Virgil van Dijk replacement - Reports

Liverpool will reportedly have to pay €50 million if they have to secure the signature of Lille wonderkid Leny Yoro. As reported by Caught Offside via Footmercato, the highly-rated defender is valued at €50 million by the French outfit, who will only be prepared to sell him for that price.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with the services of Yoro, who has been tipped to become the long-term successor of Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the Reds backline. Van Dijk, who currently captains Jurgen Klopp's side, is 32 years of age right now. Sooner or later, the Reds have to consider replacing him.

Aged just 18, Yoro is already playing at the highest level of French football in Ligue 1 with Lille and has been catching the eye on a weekly basis. The youngster has featured 35 times for Lille's senior side already and is a key player under Paulo Fonseca.

Yoro boasts a massive 6'3" frame and is blessed technically. He is a fantastic passer of the ball and likes to play his way out of trouble. He appears to be a wonderful ball-playing defender in the making and has a bright future ahead of himself.

Liverpool have been somewhat exposed at the back following Joel Matip's anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Cameroonian has been ruled out for the rest of the season, and with his contract expiring in the summer, his time could be up at Anfield.

In Matip's absence, Jurgen Klopp has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah at his disposal. However, adding someone as talented and young as Yoro could be a great move for the Reds in the long run.

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Ray Parlour names Liverpool legend as the one player he'd have in the Arsenal 'Invincibles' team

Ray Parlour has named Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as the player who would get into the Arsenal 'Invincibles' side. The Gunners created history in 2003-04 by winning the Premier League without losing a single game, a feat that has not been achieved by any other side till date.

Ray Parlour, who was was an important player in that side, has claimed that Steven Gerrard would be the only Liverpool player to break into that team. He insisted that Gerrard is the closest player to his idol Bryan Robson. He told talkSPORT:

“If I had to pick one player, it’s got to be Steven Gerrard. Bryan Robson was my idol growing up, he could do everything, and Gerrard is the nearest player I’ve seen to him. I loved the way Gerrard played as a midfielder. He would probably play in front of Gilberto Silva. He did a great job that year, he was like the invisible wall, but he probably wouldn’t get in that team over Gerrard."

Parlour has stated that he rates Gerrard higher than Chelsea legend Frank Lampard because of his all-round abilities. He added:

“Gerrard was such an amazing player, he could do everything. He could pass, score goals, tackle, he could grab a game by the scruff of the neck – like that FA Cup final – and I love players who can do that. I’ll always remember Jamie Redknapp saying, 'We’ve got this young kid coming through the ranks, he’s going to be some player.'"

"Jamie got it spot on, because what a player he was. Liverpool were very lucky to have him for all his career, really. For me, Steven Gerrard was one of the best midfielders. I know Frank Lampard was excellent for Chelsea and the number of goals he scored was amazing, but Gerrard was more of a complete midfielder.”

Gerrard spent almost the entirety of his playing career at Liverpool after coming through the club's youth ranks. He made a total of 710 appearances for the Reds, scoring 186 goals and providing 157 assists in the process.