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Liverpool’s transfer business seemed to be done following the acquisition of Diogo Jota from Wolves, but could there be one last twist in the tale?
Jota’s arrival followed the marquee signing of midfielder Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich and left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiakos.
But with no replacement signed for departing centre-back Dejan Lovren and the Reds short in that department, will they look to reinforce? Follow all the latest news, rumours and deals below.
BREWSTER TO SIGN FOR BLADES
Sheffield United are closing in on the signing of Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster after agreeing to insert a buyback clause in the deal, reports The Sun.
Brewster has been linked with a move to the Yorkshire side for a number of weeks, but it was believed a difference in opinions on the formula of the deal was stalling talks between the two sides.
However The Sun reports a deal is close to being brokered, with The Blades accepting Liverpool’s demand for a buyback clause to be inserted into the deal.
The Sun states that Liverpool can re-sign Brewster for £40m.
LIVERPOOL PREPARING MEGA MBAPPE BID FOR 2021
Liverpool are reportedly preparing a huge bid to entice French star Kylian Mbappe to the club next summer.
French outlet L’ Equipe cites a source in Spain, Deportes Cuatro, that Jurgen Klopp wants to bring Mbappe to Anfield for next summer, and is in dialogue with the player’s father regarding a move to England.
However, the report that state that Mbappe’s preferred choice is Real Madrid.
It was reported several weeks ago that Mbappe he informed his current club Paris Saint-Germain that he intends to leave the French giants at the end of this season.
HENDERSON REVEALS THOUGHTS ON NEW REDS’ SIGNINGS
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson states that he’s ‘excited’ over the club’s new signings.
Henderson wrote in the match-day programme ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Arsenal:
Being fortunate enough to be a professional footballer doesn’t mean your reaction to certain things in the game isn’t the same as that of a supporter.
It’s often maybe overlooked that before any of us fell in love with playing, we all were fans. That never leaves you. I was a supporter before I was a player and I’ll still be a supporter when I finish.
So, when Liverpool announce a new signing, we in the dressing room aren’t that much different. We get excited – we get caught up in the anticipation – we look forward to seeing them and hearing them for the first time. It does bring fresh energy and a lift.
And as you know, since the start of this season we have welcomed three new faces to the club.
Kostas [Tsimikas] joined first and we got to know him during pre-season. Thiago [Alcantara] and Diogo [Jota] are of course more recent arrivals.
All three are going to be massively important to us and we are buzzing as a team to welcome them in. We need them and we are delighted they chose to come to us. “It’s never easy joining a new club. Any player who says it is, isn’t being honest. Again, like any workplace, being the ‘new person’ is exciting but unsettling. For Kostas and Thiago, they also have to contend with this being a new country as well as a new team.
However, I think one of our strengths as a dressing room is that we make this transition as good and as seamless as it possibly can be. Maybe as captain I get too much credit for this, because the environment we have is created by everyone. It is not – and never is – down to one person. And that’s not just players, either. It’s the staff at the club, the coaches... everyone, really.
It’s probably one of the things I’m proudest of, when I think about this team and this group of players. Every person in our dressing room, senior or younger, knows they carry a responsibility to help where possible when someone new arrives. Because ultimately it’s about making us better and stronger as a group.
All three players are exciting acquisitions for us and yet all three have shown how keen they were to come and how appreciative they are to be here. I think as a team and a club we can take pride in the fact we are seen as an environment where ambitious, committed professionals can achieve all they want in the game.
KOULIBALY SIGNING WOULD BE ‘GAME OVER’ FOR TITLE RIVALS SAYS COLLYMORE
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore believes that should the club sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, a partnership between he and Virgil van Dijk would be ‘game over’ for their title rivals.
Liverpool and Man City have been linked with a move for the 29-year-old in recent times.
However City have since bought Ruben Dias from Benfica, leaving Liverpool as the only suitor for the defender.
Speaking to The People, Collymore said:
The idea of Kalidou Koulibaly partnering Virgil van Dijk in Liverpool’s central defence has me so excited that I reckon it could be the best pairing since Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
It genuinely could be up there with the best partnerships there have ever been in the game and if Sadio Mane’s text messages to his compatriot have convinced him to sign for the Reds, then it’s game over for all their title rivals.
HENDERSON WILL HAVE TO WORK TO RETAIN PLACE SAYS CASCARINO
Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino says Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson will have to work harder to retain his place in the starting XI this season, due to the arrival of Thiago Alcantara.
Henderson was named as FWA’s Football of the Year last season as he played an instrumental role in Liverpool’s title win.
Cascarino, writing in his column in The Times, says Henderson will have to prove his worth again:
Jordan Henderson may be the first man to be named Footballer of the Year and within weeks no longer even be a first-choice starter for his club.
Henderson is still a massive figure for Jurgen Klopp and will remain a big influence but Liverpool’s first-choice midfield this season could be Fabinho, who is so crucial to them, Thiago Alcântara, and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Of course Henderson will get games but he will need to take his game up a level to be a guaranteed starter.
NAPOLI DS MAINTAINS KOULIBALY IS STAYING
Napoli’s director of sport Cristiano Giuntoli believes that Kalidou Koulibaly is staying at the club.
The 29-year-old defender has been linked with moves to Manchester City and Liverpool throughout the transfer window.
However club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is a tough negotiator, and is unwilling to sell Koulibaly below his €80m price tag.
Asked about the Koulibaly situation, Giuntoli said:
Our squad is complete, so will now try to release players who won’t have much time on the pitch.
I think Koulibaly is staying, we are very happy and so is he.
He has three years on his current deal, I believe he is staying.
City have since moved on from Koulibaly, signing Benfica defender Ruben Dias, and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes there will be no further signings.
CROUCH RAVES OVER NEW LIVERPOOL SIGNING
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is in awe of new club signing Thiago Alcantara, saying the midfielder could play the game ‘with his slippers on’.
The former Barcelona player signed for Liverpool for a fee believed to be in the region of £20m after winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich.
Writing in his column with the Daily Mail, Crouch said:
He could play the game in his slippers. I watched that cameo at Chelsea last week and you could tell immediately that Thiago had blown people away in his first training session, as everybody wanted to give him the ball.
There were some similarities I could see in Thiago with Xabi Alonso. It was the way he gathered the ball, how crisply he passed it. Xabi was a wonderful footballer and he came to my mind when I watched Thiago.
Did you see those ‘no-look’ passes and how he was rolling the ball under his studs? There was so much to admire in those 45 minutes and he is going to be a big figure through the rest of the season.
DEFENDER TO VISIT MELWOOD
Motherwell defender Sam Campbell is reportedly set to visit Liverpool’s training ground with a view to joining the club.
The Scottish side accepted a bid from Liverpool for the 16-year-old defender, in addition to bids from Leeds and Brighton.
Website Football Inside states that Campbell wants to hold a meeting with the club in order to decide what’s best for his future.
Motherwell reportedly wanted to keep hold of the player, but Campbell decided to seek a transfer away from Scotland.
It’s unknown at this stage the figures involved in the deal.
KARIUS IN ‘GOOD MOOD’ AHEAD OF LOAN MOVE
Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius states that he’s in a ‘good mood’ ahead of his move to Bundesliga side Union Berlin.
Karius arrived In Berlin today in order to undergo his medical with the German outfit, and confessed to Bild that’s in ‘a good mood’ ahead of the move.
Karius spent last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, and hasn’t played for Liverpool since the 2018 Champions League final.
It’s reported that Union Berlin won’t have the option to turn the loan deal into a permanent move.
THIAGO VISION EXCEPTIONAL SAYS KLOPP
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says new signing Thiago Alcantara’s vision is ‘exeptional’.
The midfielder signed for Liverpool during the transfer window and made his debut in the second half of the 2-0 win against Chelsea eight days ago.
Klopp, speaking to Sky Sports, says Alcantara is a great fit for the club.
“Thiago is obviously a very good football player,” said Klopp.
"You saw it [against Chelsea]. Some things are natural for him that are not natural for other players, but we won the league and we won the Champions League without Thiago.
"He won it (Champions League) with Bayern, so obviously it is a good fit I would say, but we now have to get used to each other.
"There are very special things [he has that separates him from others] in world football.
"His vision is exceptional, pair that with pretty good technical skills, and a nice passing ability and these kind of things, and you become a really interesting package.
"On top of that as a guy, he couldn't be better. It's incredible, when you give him a ball, he is still a kid.
“And when you take the ball away he is a really mature and experienced football person, who is interested in a lot of things, tactics and all these kind of things. He wants to learn which is very important.”
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