Liverpool are among three European giants ‘closely following the evolution’ of Armel Bella-Kotchap with Jurgen Klopp an ‘admirer’ of the Southampton star.
Bella-Kotchap signed for the Saints from VfL Bochum in the summer for £9m and has impressed at the start of the Premier League season.
His displays have earned him his first call-up to the senior Germany squad, as they prepare for Nations League games against Hungary and England, and drawn the attention of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
That’s according to Fichajes (via Sport Witness) who claim the European trio ‘closely follow the evolution’ of the 20-year-old.
The report adds that Liverpool boss Klopp is an ‘admirer’ of Bella-Kotchap and sees him as a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk at Anfield.
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The centre-back was particularly impressive in Southampton’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, and manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said his questions over Bella-Kotchap’s “mindset” had been quickly answered.
“When you see the physical quality he has it is perfect for the Premier League,” said Hasenhuttl. “And this is what we hoped for in the summer.
“I was more questioning if he had the right mindset but it seems the Premier League is so interesting for him and he is fully focused.”