Liverpool are tracking Frankfurt’s Nnamdi Collins as a versatile, pacey right-back, but a €35m price and competition from United and Chelsea complicate a January move.
Liverpool’s reported interest in Nnamdi Collins makes sense as a response to an unsettled right-back position: the Eintracht Frankfurt defender offers pace, defensive range and the ability to cover at centre-back. But the fit doesn’t make a January transfer straightforward. Frankfurt are said to want €35 million (£29 million), would prefer to keep him until summer, and have a contract that runs through 2030.
According to German outlet Fussball News, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are all seriously tracking the 22-year-old. TEAMtalk reported the clubs’ interest on Friday. For Liverpool, Collins appears to be a possible answer to a specific squad problem; for Frankfurt, he’s an important asset with no immediate need to sell.
A right-back role that needs a longer-term answer
Jeremie Frimpong arrived at Anfield as the successor to Trent Alexander-Arnold, but injuries and inconsistent form have so far kept him from securing the role. Conor Bradley is another option, though the 23-year-old is returning from a serious knee injury. Andoni Iraola will need to manage his return carefully rather than depend on him too heavily from the outset.
Ronald Araujo has impressed while filling in at right-back on loan. Liverpool could reportedly bring forward his €55 million (£47 million) option to buy, but a loan player’s cover doesn’t settle the position for the longer term. If the club wants a defender who can contribute now and offer flexibility across the back line, Collins is a plausible candidate.
Liverpool are also monitoring AC Milan defender Koni de Winter. Collins represents a different profile: younger, notably quick and capable of playing both right-back and centre-back. That versatility could matter if Liverpool are weighing more than one defensive need.
Why Collins fits the profile
Collins developed in the academies at Fortuna Düsseldorf and Borussia Dortmund before Frankfurt signed him for €1 million in August 2023. The low fee has since become a striking piece of business for the German club: he is now considered one of its most valuable players.
His pace is central to the appeal. At right-back, he can track quick forwards in wide areas, defend aggressively and recover when opponents attack space behind a high line. He is also comfortable in possession, a useful trait for a Liverpool side that expects its full-backs to take part in building attacks. Those qualities suggest he could offer Iraola a defender suited to a high-energy role, though a transfer report alone can’t establish how quickly he would adapt to Liverpool’s demands.
Former Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmöller described Collins as “a little machine,” praising the energy he brings to the pitch. The phrase captures the running and intensity associated with his game. He has also spoken about his admiration for Virgil van Dijk: in an interview with Kicker in September 2025, Collins said he could “learn everything” from the Liverpool captain. That signals ambition and respect, but it doesn’t establish that he would choose Liverpool over rival offers.
Three Premier League clubs are watching
Fussball News says Liverpool, United and Chelsea have scouted Collins in Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal matches, as well as for Germany’s Under-21 team. BBC Sport’s gossip column also listed the three clubs as tracking him. Earlier reporting by TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey said six Premier League sides had made checks, naming Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Brentford alongside the current trio.
Frankfurt’s reported €35 million valuation is a substantial jump from the €1 million it paid in 2023, and Collins’ contract gives the club room to hold its position. The club would prefer to keep him through the season and consider a sale in summer. He changed agents in March as he pursued a Premier League move, according to the source report, but that doesn’t remove Frankfurt’s leverage or guarantee a winter departure.
Competition may affect the timing. United and Chelsea are watching, and earlier reports connected several more English clubs with the defender. United are also pursuing Bournemouth midfielder Marcus Tavernier, though that is a separate recruitment decision. For Collins, the central question is whether one of his interested clubs is ready to meet Frankfurt’s terms.
What he could change for Iraola
At right-back, Collins’ speed could help Liverpool defend space behind a high line and allow the winger ahead of him to stay higher. His comfort on the ball could also support build-up down the right flank when opponents press. As a centre-back, he would provide another option rather than an assumed first-choice starter; that second position still adds value over a long season.
Araujo’s future could shape the plan. If Liverpool sign both players, Araujo might be developed as a future successor to Van Dijk in central defence, while Collins competes for right-back. The source report points to Van Dijk’s eventual successor as one possible role for Araujo. Two defenders who can cover multiple positions would give Iraola more ways to respond to injuries and fixture congestion, though buying both would require Liverpool to commit significant resources to the back line.
The article’s fit ratings put Liverpool at 8.4/10, Manchester United at 7.9 and Chelsea at 7.5. Those scores reflect the writer’s assessment, not a confirmed measure of the clubs’ plans. Liverpool’s case rests on the open right-back position, Collins’ playing style and his comments about learning from Van Dijk. United might offer a clearer route to regular starts, while Chelsea’s interest is framed as a possible depth addition.
January depends on Frankfurt and Liverpool’s other decisions
There are several obstacles to a winter move. Frankfurt reportedly prefer to wait until summer and can point to Collins’ contract through 2030. A €35 million asking price could rise if multiple clubs compete, and Liverpool’s decision on Araujo could affect what the club is willing to spend on another defender.
There’s also a gap between scouting and a transfer. The reports describe interest and regular observation, but no bid has been reported. A January deal would require a club to make a formal approach and Frankfurt to consider selling before its preferred timetable.
For Liverpool, Collins looks like a credible target because his speed and positional flexibility address needs at right-back and across the defence. Whether that profile becomes a transfer will depend on the club’s Araujo decision, its willingness to meet Frankfurt’s valuation and how quickly the competition acts. Until those pieces move, Collins remains a Frankfurt player and Liverpool’s right-back search remains open.
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