Liverpool have reportedly made contact over a move to sign Chelsea centre-back Levi Colwill, and he would give Andoni Iraola exactly what he needs.

Liverpool have looked a strong team at points this season, but there have also been a lot of concerns about parts of the squad, similar to last term under Arne Slot.

Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola have both been inconsistent in attack despite each costing more than £100m, while Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai haven't been at the same levels they have been previously in central midfield.

The duo's first-team spots appear to be in grave danger given the form both Alexis Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni find themselves in right now, and an improvement is needed from the pair who were both so key to the 2025 Premier League title win.

Perhaps Iraola's biggest worry is in defence though, where the Reds have looked fragile on a number of occasions already during the current campaign.

Aside from the 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City, the Merseysiders haven't looked too bad in the Premier League, but Wednesday night's surprise 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce now means they have conceded three goals in three consecutive Champions League fixtures.

Those games haven't been against Europe's top elite clubs either, and they have no chance of progressing far in the competition unless they tighten up.

Liverpool's centre-back situation is interesting because Jeremy Jacquet is probably the best-performing player in the position after joining from Rennes, while Virgil van Dijk has shown his increasing vulnerabilities just over six months before his contract at Anfield is due to expire.

Loanee Ronald Araujo has impressed but he has played as a right-back more often than not, while there continues to be question marks over the fitness and consistency of Joe Gomez, who is also out of contract next summer, and Giovanni Leoni has been sidelined for more than a year now.

It's no surprise that the Reds could be looking into signing another new centre-back and, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have made an approach for Chelsea star Colwill, who they retain a strong interest in having followed his progress for years.

Iraola Needs Levi Colwill at Liverpool

Iraola enjoyed great success during his time at Bournemouth, and one of his key players was Marcos Senesi.

The partnership between the Argentina international and James Hill was one of the staples of their success, as they qualified for the Europa League under the Spaniard prior to his departure.

Senesi being left-footed gave the defence a strong balance to boost Iraola's risk-reward philosophy when pressing high up the pitch, but the Spanish manager doesn't have that luxury available to him at Anfield.

Van Dijk is a great player and while he is able to use both feet in possession, he is still primarily a right-footed player.

This is where Liverpool's reported interest in Colwill doesn't come as too much of a surprise, given he is one of the best left-footed centre-halves in the Premier League.

Having fully recovered from the ACL tear he suffered at Stamford Bridge in 2025, the tall 23-year-old is now a key player under Xabi Alonso.

Not only has he been a big part of a Chelsea defence that has tightened up in recent weeks, but he has also shown his leadership skills by captaining the side on occasions this term.

His qualities and leadership won't have gone unnoticed by Liverpool chiefs, as they consider what direction to go with Van Dijk and whether they need to land the Dutchman's long-term replacement now.

Colwill isn't at the level that Van Dijk was in his prime at Anfield, but he has huge potential which Alonso is clearly aware of following his comments on the Southampton-born defender just after he was appointed.

The former Real Madrid boss said: “I would say having a proper pre-season has helped him in taking the right steps in the right moment.

“We don’t want to rush him too quickly because of what he had last year. Now, after pre-season, we are expecting him to play in a good way with the confidence and the fitness to have him at his best level. For me, he is one of the best centre-backs in the world.”

That last comment sums up just how highly Alonso rates Colwill, which makes a deal to bring him to Anfield seem even more unlikely.

Liverpool have shown in recent transfer windows that they aren't afraid to spend big in the market, but it would surely need a huge fee to even make Chelsea consider doing business with them.