Liverpool are interested in signing Olympiacos defender Ousseynou Ba this summer after Sadio Mané advised the Reds to scout his Senegalese compatriot, according to a report.
Ba has impressed at the Greek outfit this season, including in Europa League clashes with English sides Arsenal and Wolves where the 24-year-old also caught the eye of compatriot and Liverpool attacker Mané.
Mané is said to have been impressed by what he saw of the centre-back and, as a result, suggested to Liverpool that they should take a closer look at Ba ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
According to Le Quotidien - a Senegalese paper - Ba is attracting interest from across Europe, while naming Liverpool as the club most interested in the £18m defender - partly due to Mané's influence.
However, it's Greek outlet Sportime that specifically states that Mané told Liverpool's scouts to take note of the player's development.
Despite having made just 18 appearances in all competitions this season for Olympiacos, Ba has caught the eye of a number of clubs and the centre-back could be on his way out of Greece, even though he only arrived in January 2019.
Valued at £18m, Ba poses something of a dilemma for Liverpool given his inexperience, especially considering the 6'4 defender would be highly unlikely to compete with either Virgil van Dijk or Joe Gomez for a starting berth.
However, the 24-year-old would provide good cover for the world champions, especially given the fact that Dejan Lovren looks all but certain to leave Anfield this summer following yet another season of inconsistency.
Liverpool have also been linked with Ba's Olympiacos teammate Kostas Tsimikas as cover for left-back Andy Robertson, with the Greek defender likely to cost in the region of £25m.
One potential caveat to such rumours, however, is that Reds boss Jürgen Klopp has previously insisted that Liverpool will be looking to strengthen from within their own ranks this summer, making a vast array of new additions unlikely in the next transfer window.
Source : 90min