Chelsea, Liverpool in transfer 'tug of war' for £8m centre-back as buyback complication emerges

Chelsea and Liverpool have found themselves in a transfer 'tug of war' for OH Leuven centre-back Roggerio Nyakossi, reports claim.

Both the Reds and the Blues have experienced defensive disarray this season, with Giovanni Leoni and Levi Colwill out for the campaign with respective ACL injuries.

Liverpool are also at increasing risk of losing Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer at the end of the season when his deal expires, while Virgil van Dijk will enter the last 12 months of his own terms in the summer.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have struggled to find the ideal defensive formula under Liam Rosenior, and it would not be a shock to see both Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo depart in the upcoming transfer window.

As a result, defensive arrivals could take priority at both Stamford Bridge and Anfield this summer, while the Liverpool powers-that-be also focus on signing a direct Mohamed Salah successor.

Chelsea, Liverpool 'make checks' on Roggerio Nyakossi

According to The Sun, Chelsea and Liverpool have been alerted to the progress of 22-year-old Leuven defender Nyakossi, who also serves as captain for the Switzerland Under-21s side.

Like Van Dijk, Nyakossi is also due to become a free agent in 2027 and is supposedly not in line for a renewal with his Belgian club, meaning that a summer exit is imminent.

The 6ft 4in centre-back was previously part of the Marseille youth system before joining Leuven for just £697k in January 2025, since when he has scored four goals in 25 matches for the Belgian outfit in all tournaments.

Nyakossi snubbed interest from the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A in January to help Leuven avoid relegation, but the 2004-born defender is expected to take the next step in his career when the summer transfer window opens.

Chelsea and Liverpool have both been 'making checks' on Nyakossi ahead of the market, but the two Big Six outfits will not be alone in the race for the defender.

Why Liverpool and Chelsea are already at disadvantage in Roggerio Nyakossi race

Liverpool and Chelsea would supposedly only have to pay £8m to sign Nyakossi in the summer window, but there will be more than one roadblock preventing the duo from snapping him up.

Four Premier League rivals - Fulham, Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham United - are also said to be interested in the 22-year-old and could potentially offer him more regular game time than the Blues or the Reds.

In addition, Marseille reportedly struck a buy-back agreement for the Swiss youngster a little over a year ago, and the Ligue 1 giants are interested in bringing him back to the Orange Velodrome.

Les Olympiens therefore hold the upper hand in the race for Nyakossi, although they would still need to agree personal terms with the 22-year-old, who could expect a more lucrative contract in the Premier League.