Liverpool are ready to pay £42m to sign Stuttgart centre-back Finn Jeltsch in the January window, according to the Liverpool Echo.
The 20-year-old has caught the club’s attention after a strong breakthrough season in Germany. His valuation has risen from around £30m to £42m as interest from Europe’s top clubs has grown, with Liverpool willing to match that asking price.
The Reds lack depth at centre-back after Ibrahima Konate’s free-agent departure to Real Madrid in the summer. With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both out of contract next summer, the club are looking ahead to January to bolster their options. Jeremy Jacquet has settled well since joining from Rennes, but Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined by an ACL injury.
Liverpool will face competition: Juventus and Real Madrid are also monitoring Jeltsch, meaning a bidding war could develop when the window opens.
One to watch rather than a deal moving yet, but the interest is clear.
Sources
How this story developed
- 19 Oct We first reported this.
- 21 Oct Liverpool Echo adds context on Jeltsch's Germany call-up under Klopp and competition from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus; also reports Chelsea have overtaken Liverpool in the race for Alex Scott.
Updated 21 October 2026, 06:23. Written by PremClub News with the help of AI, using only facts from the reports listed on this page. How we rate stories · Editorial policy