Liverpool scouts 'witness' £7m-rated full-back perfect for Ruben Amorim

Liverpool’s scouts were present at last week’s Europa Conference League first leg clash between Club Brugge and PAOK - and one defender may have caught the eye.

Maxim De Cuyper has been in brilliant form for the Belgian club this season, scoring four times and providing an impressive 12 assists from left-back. However, the 23-year-old has also been able to cover at right-back as well as left midfield and has proven to be a versatile and energetic defender who has been one of the club’s best performers.

De Cuyper isn’t linked with a move to Liverpool as it stands, but with the future of Kostas Tsimikas potentially uncertain given a new manager will arrive in the summer and Andy Robertson’s declining form - a new full-back may be brought in this summer and he could well be on a shortlist after their scouting mission. Valued at just £7m (€8m) on Transfermarkt, his deal expires in 2026 and given that Robertson was acquired from Hull City at £7m, he could be a potential bargain waiting to happen.

What has to be noted is his marketable improvement in his output over recent seasons; he managed six goals and five assists in 2021/22 and then nine goals and seven assists last season and he’s a player on the rise. With Ruben Amorim being the most heavily linked manager at the current time, the fact he has utilised a 3-4-3 formation at Sporting could suggest that he would be a great addition in that particular system. He has played as left centre-back in a back three and as a left wing-back and, as mentioned, is capable of playing on either flank.

Not only is he impressive going forward his underlying defensive figures are strong; as per Wyscout, his 68% defensive duel figure puts him third in the league when it comes to players in his position. There’s also 6.91 possession-adjusted interceptions per 90 as well. Plus, there’s a strong dribbling figure which sees him produce a 63.33% rate which places him as the 5th best in the league.

With Amorim likely to feature his progressive formation at Anfield should he sign on, versatility would be key for his squad with De Cuyper able to cover at both full-back and wing-back positions as well as left centre-back. Plus, we saw reports from Portuguese outlet Record who claimed that Liverpool representatives were Sporting in action against Benfica in the Taça de Portugal in February with a special focus on his tactical set-up - and it’s certainly a viable theory that they would target players who could fit such a specific system.