Arne Slot's Liverpool powerplay: He's handpicked a new centre-back

The 27-year-old Dutchman joined Napoli from Bologna last summer but hasn’t always been a first-pick for Antonio Conte. There might therefore be a chance for the Merseysiders to steal in and do a deal for a player that Slot has wanted for a long time.

“Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Napoli centre-back Sam Beukema,” the report reads.

“The Dutch defender is firmly on their radar ahead of the summer window. During his time at Feyenoord, Slot actively attempted to sign Beukema from Go Ahead Eagles, and that admiration has remained ever since.

“Slot has made his feelings clear internally, communicating his admiration for Beukema directly to Liverpool’s recruitment team, including sporting director Richard Hughes, as the club shapes their defensive shortlist.

“Beukema is under contract with Napoli until 2030, and sources indicate the Serie A side would only consider offers in excess of £30million (€35m, $40m), with the defender not actively up for sale.”

Sam Beukema: Situation summary

Sam Beukema’s first campaign at Napoli has been that of a functional starter rather than an undisputed pillar, sitting in the middle third of Serie A centre-backs for minutes plus Champions League group‑stage exposure.

On‑ball, he’s essentially an error‑averse facilitator: mid‑table for touches and progressive volume but posting elite retention (over 90% completion in Europe, 233/251 passes completed in the UCL group stage).

Defensively, the profile is more box‑defender than front‑foot destructor – around 1.0–1.4 tackles and 0.7–1.0 interceptions per 90, offset by a solid 3.5–4.3 clearances and above‑average aerial numbers in Serie A data sets.

Napoli paid c.€31m plus bonuses and tied him down until 2030 on about €3m net, so the club’s default stance is clearly hold, not flip.

For a real exit to materialise, you’re probably talking a bid that clears their book value and opportunity cost – something in the mid‑to‑high‑20s (€25–30m) if he settles as a rotational piece rather than a nailed‑on Conte starter, with most noise so far coming from the Bundesliga‑Premier League axis that tracked him at Bologna.