Liverpool are reportedly leading the charge as Premier League clubs look to prise defender Pape Abou Cisse away from Olympiacos.
Jurgen Klopp will still be having nightmares about Liverpool’s defensive crisis of last term. The Reds, who boast one of the strongest squads on the planet, finished the season with a centre-back pairing of Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams.
Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have returned to full fitness, with Ibrahima Konate having been drafted in from RB Leipzig, but there’s some suggestion that Klopp is not entirely satisfied with his options at the back.
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool are interested in signing Olympiacos and Senegal centre-back Pape Abou Cisse. Arsenal and Everton are also thought to have sent scouts to watch the 26-year-old in action.
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The report notes that Liverpool are currently leading the pursuit of Cisse, despite the fact they don’t appear to have any dire need for a new centre-back at current. To speculate, it could be in anticipation of the departure of Nat Phillips.
A player with Cisse’s profile, with the Senegalese international playing in Greece just as he approaches his prime years, is unlikely to head to Anfield and immediately become a starter. He’d likely be an option to buff out the squad.
If Arsenal and Everton’s interest in the defender stretches any further than scouting, they could offer him a more plausible pathway into the starting XI. Perhaps that’d give them the edge, but for now, the Daily Mail say Liverpool are out in front.