VVD Succession Plan: Liverpool Submit ‘Concrete Offer’ for ‘Complete and Dominant’ Centre-back
Liverpool’s early moves in the summer transfer window can be summed up as one completed deal, two more nearing completion, and the likelihood of additional signings on the horizon.
Jeremie Frimpong has already arrived from Bayer Leverkusen, with multiple reliable sources suggesting that Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez are also set to follow him.
There’s a realistic chance that all three transfers could be finalised by mid-June, giving Richard Hughes more than two months to strengthen the squad further.
All three are expected to join Liverpool as immediate first-team players, though it also appears that those at Anfield are simultaneously focusing on longer-term squad development.
Liverpool Submit Transfer Offer for Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal
Moroccan source Le360 Sport reports that Liverpool have made a firm offer for Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, the 19-year-old centre-back currently with Ligue 1 outfit Rennes.
The Premier League champions face competition for the youngster’s signature, with Newcastle said to have held talks with his representatives, while Nice, Lille, and two unnamed clubs from La Liga are also keeping tabs on him.
Aït Boudlal still has three years left on his contract at Roazhon Park, but the Moroccan youth international clearly has no shortage of potential suitors.
Aït Boudlal Would Be One for the Future at Liverpool If the Reds Sign Him
If Liverpool were to secure the signing of Aït Boudlal this summer, it would be with the intention of nurturing him into a future first-team player rather than throwing him straight into senior action, as he remains relatively inexperienced at the top level.
The 19-year-old has yet to feature for Rennes’ senior side and spent the latter half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Amiens in Ligue 2, where he made nine appearances, according to Transfermarkt.
While he’s not yet ready to make an immediate impact at a club of Liverpool’s calibre, his displays at youth level and early senior outings hint at the potential to grow into a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig describes Aït Boudlal as a ‘complete and dominant centre-back’ who already displays leadership qualities, along with impressive athleticism and strong game intelligence.
Should Liverpool finalise a deal for him during this transfer window, it’s likely he would be loaned out—possibly to a Championship side or a leading European top-flight club—to gain much-needed senior experience.
Newcastle currently appear to be leading the race for his signature, but with the Reds already securing Frimpong and possibly closing in on Wirtz and Kerkez, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Richard Hughes pull off another smart move by adding the Moroccan talent to the ranks.
In other news, Liverpool Handed a Key Boost as £34m Transfer Target Turns Down Premier League Rival
