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Liverpool have begun pursuing a new defender who could reach the level of prime Virgil van Dijk as they begin to plan for life after the Dutchman.
The Netherlands international is potentially in his final season on Merseyside. Van Dijk signed a two-year extension after captaining the Reds to the Premier League title in 2025, meaning that his current deal is up next summer.
Van Dijk remains an excellent defender, but the 35-year-old has experienced a drop-off in his performance levels, which is understandable given his age. As things stand, Liverpool will part ways with their defensive colossus in 2027, following a legendary nine-and-a-half year spell.
With Van Dijk in the twilight of his Reds career, the club have already been building for the future for more than a year now. Giovanni Leoni joined in 2025, while Jeremy Jacquet and Ifeanyi Ndukwe arrived this summer.
All three are hugely exciting talents, although only Jacquet has thus far enjoyed a prominent role. Leoni is still recovering from an ACL tear he suffered on his debut, while Ndukwe had to go out on loan after an impressive pre-season due to a lack of a work permit.
Liverpool want Jeltsch
Despite boasting these three wonderkids, Liverpool remain attentive to the centre-back market and could make another addition in 2027. In recent times, they have been strongly linked with a possible move for Stuttgart star Finn Jeltsch.
The Germany international also has suitors elsewhere, with Barcelona boss Hansi Flick known to be a huge admirer of his compatriot. Sport states that the 61-year-old is pushing for the signing of Jeltsch.
Ironically, Barcelona’s ability to sign the 20-year-old could hinge on Liverpool and their decision on the future of loanee Ronald Araujo. If they trigger their €55 million purchase option for the Uruguayan, the LaLiga giants could have the resources to bring in Jeltsch for a similar fee.
His current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is €50m. Beyond their cost, the two are alike in that they can both feature at centre-back and at right-back, but Jeltsch isn’t quite as much of a physical presence as Araujo.
If Liverpool are serious about acquiring Jeltsch, they might want to send Araujo back to Spain in order to complicate things for Barcelona. A move in January has already been ruled out – Stuttgart don’t want to sell, and the player doesn’t want to move mid-season.
It will be a different story in the summer. With interest in the versatile defender rapidly growing, Stuttgart will find it increasingly difficult to keep hold of him. At the end of the day, they are a selling club, and Jeltsch is one of their most valuable assets.
Jeltsch has Van Dijk-level potential
The youngster, who joined the Swabians in early 2025, hasn’t been in a rush to leave. Staying put this summer was the right decision, as it has allowed him to continue in a familiar environment where he is allowed to develop and make mistakes.
That’s exactly what he needed because he hasn’t been flawless for Stuttgart this season, which is to be expected from a 20-year-old. A move to a major club would have come too soon for him.
However, there is no doubt that Jeltsch will become a global star sooner rather than later. According to data analytics firm SciSports, the German has sky-high potential that, if fulfilled, would see him become a key player for a club like Liverpool.
SciSports calculates this potential by analysing hundreds of in-game data points. None of Liverpool’s current defenders has a higher ceiling than Jeltsch. The only one remotely comparable is Van Dijk – but not the 35-year-old version.
SciSports believes that Jeltsch can reach a similar level to Van Dijk in his prime. The Dutchman peaked at a SciSkill rating of 134.9, while the high-water mark of Jeltsch’s current potential is 134.
Of course, player development is not linear. There is no guarantee that Jeltsch will be able to hit the same heights as the Liverpool legend, but the 20-year-old is already showing huge promise. Whoever manages to sign him next summer will secure a real gem.
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