Chelsea and Liverpool are among the admirers of Illia Zabarnyi, with Bournemouth cautious about losing another one of their defenders in the summer.

According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Illia Zabarnyi continued to attract the interest of some of the big clubs, as Liverpool and Chelsea are among his admirers. The Ukrainian international has been a star at the back for Bournemouth, who are cautious about losing another one of their key defenders in the same summer window.

Bournemouth are under a lot of pressure on the sporting side, as they could have a much-changed backline for the start of the next season. Milos Kerkez is already in talks over a move to Liverpool, while Dean Huijsen has already left the club, and now there are doubts about Illia Zabarnyi’s immediate future.

Huijsen had a lot of interested parties, and he had a £50 million release clause in his contract. The likes of Liverpool and Chelsea were among those chasing the Spaniard’s signature, but Real Madrid eventually won the race for the centre-back.

With Liverpool and Chelsea still in the hunt for a new centre-back, they have now switched their attention toward Bournemouth’s other star defender Illia Zabarnyi. The 22-year-old centre-back sensation has been a rock at the back for the Cherries and does not have a release clause in his deal.

Newcastle United have also been interested in Zabarnyi, while PSG have also been heavily linked with a move for the Ukrainian. Bournemouth are not keen to lose potentially a third different defender from their back four of last season, and they are under no real financial pressure to sell. Yet, if a large enough offer comes in and the player decides to take up the new challenge, he might depart.

Liverpool and Chelsea in Illia Zabarnyi’s chase

Liverpool are eager to build their backline with a central defensive addition, but before that, they will hope to close the deal with Bournemouth for Kerkez. There are some doubts about Ibrahima Konate’s future, though the club are confident of keeping him while adding someone like Zabarnyi to further strengthen the central positions.

As for Chelsea, there are a lot of questions about their existing defenders, as Wesley Fofana, Beniot Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo have not performed to expected levels. They had scouted Illia Zabarnyi before the January window, but a deal was never possible then, as the Blues are keen to bring him in the summer.