Some Liverpool fans will likely have been feeling dismayed at watching Leny Yoro make his Manchester United debut last weekend.

The Reds had been right in the mix to sign the 18-year-old from Lille until United blew them out of the water with a massive offer.

Initially, it had looked virtually certain that Yoro was heading to Real Madrid. However, with Liverpool believing that to be the case, their Premier League rivals stole in and snatched the centre-back.

As well as obviously being hurt at losing out to their mortal enemies, it will also have stung Liverpool supporters because a new centre-back is exactly what is needed at Anfield this summer.

With Yoro out of the way, it's hard to see who Arne Slot will target to bolster his first-team squad now. Or, perhaps it just became a whole lot clearer.

Reports that Goncalo Inacio could join Liverpool have returned recently, while the current hot name appears to Marc Guehi.

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The latest claims that Guehi is a target for Liverpool have been delivered on Tuesday, although counter-claims insist that Guehi is no longer on the Reds' list.

What it all adds up to is a bit of a mess. If Liverpool really are signing a centre-back this summer, then it will likely be a bit of a bolt from the blue.

Perhaps the more likely scenario at this point is that the Reds do not make a signing at all. Slot has been impressed with Sepp van den Berg and we think the Dutch coach is going to trust his compatriot for now.

Next year, with Virgil van Dijk out of contract and the jury likely to be in on Van den Berg, we think Liverpool may go all in on signing Ajax youngster Jorrel Hato.

Journalist Ben Jacobs claimed on Tuesday that Liverpool would have 'loved' to have signed Hato early this summer, but the 18-year-old chose to stay at Ajax. Next year, things could easily be different.

Liverpool have shown in the past that they'll happily wait for the 'right' player. If they think Hato is that man, then it would not be a surprise to see them wait it out for a year with what they have and come back next summer.

Jordan Henderson gives Jorrel Hato approval Hato and Yoro are similar prospects in some ways. Both are already first-team regulars at just 18, with the Ajax man having played one senior game more than United's new boy - 61 to 60.

Almost unbelievably, Hato played 46 times for the Dutch giants last season despite being seven months younger than Yoro.

The teenager also made his full Netherlands in November 2023 at just 17, coming on as a half-time substitute for Van Dijk.

One man who knows just how good Hato is is former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. Henderson labelled Hato a 'crazy' talent and a 'fantastic' player after featuring with him at Ajax.

So, you can understand why Liverpool were quietly chipping away at the youngster. Their need for a new defender will arguably be even greater next year and after another season of whispering in Hato's ear, we think he'll be ready to go. Leny, who?