Liverpool are keeping tabs on Juventus centre-back Pierre Kalulu ahead of a possible swoop in January, according to Football Insider.
Kalulu has maintained a consistent level of combative performances at the backline in recent seasons across spells with AC Milan and Juventus.
He began his career with Saint-Priest Jugend before joining Lyon’s academy as part of the club’s ever-growing talent pool of the latest generation of exciting stars that also includes the likes of Liverpool’s Bradley Barcola, Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba, Sunderland’s Malick Fofana, Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, etc.
Although the 26-year-old made the bench several times, he never debuted for the first team before signing for Milan in September 2020 for a significantly lower fee than his current £26m Transfermarkt valuation.
Despite his relative inexperience, Milan’s gamble paid off as Kalulu repaid the faith, going on to make over 100 appearances for the Rossoneri, including 28 in the 2021-22 Scudetto-winning campaign under Stefano Pioli, who described him as ‘fantastic’.
However, after recurring injuries and the arrival of Serbian centre-back Strahinja Pavlovic, Kalulu’s game time dropped, leading to an initial loan followed by a permanent move to Juventus, where he recently marked his 100th appearance for the club.
It appears his performances have not gone unnoticed, as Football Insider claims that Liverpool are keeping tabs on the Frenchman ahead of a possible transfer in the January transfer window.
‘Fantastic’ defender
With Virgil van Dijk’s contract running out in the summer, Joe Gomez’s persistent injuries, and Jeremie Frimpong’s struggles since his arrival, the Reds are exploring options for their defence, with Kalulu now being tracked, according to the report.
In addition to centre-back, the report adds that the Merseyside giants also need to reinforce their right-back position, and the five-cap France international could be a viable solution to both positions.
Providing more details on Liverpool’s interest in Kalulu, transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed on the Transfer Insider podcast that the Juventus man can play different positions and is now on the Reds’ radar.
He said, ‘He’s somebody who’s on the radar; whether they make a move or not, that remains to be seen.
He’s a versatile player, can play centre-back, right-back and also right wing back, and he’s been a consistent performer for Juventus.’
Kalulu, who has made 4.00 recoveries and won 3.33 duels per game this season, has played an impressive 92 games at right back in his career, demonstrating his experience in that position whenever called upon.
Signing him should be a no, as he would offer Andoni Iraola dynamic, combative and solid defensive cover at the back.
