Liverpool’s signing of Alexis Mac Allister for a fee believed to be in the region of £35m continues to look more and more like a steal with each passing week.
Granted, the Reds were aided by a release clause of sorts inserted into the World Cup winner’s contract when he agreed fresh terms last October. As a result, they were free to wrap up his transfer within two weeks of the Premier League season finishing.
But a look elsewhere around the market and club bosses can certainly be patting themselves on the back at a job well done, having easily found the best value for money when it comes to highly-sought after midfielders.
Jude Bellingham’s long-running transfer saga finally came to an end earlier this summer as joined Real Madrid for an initial £88m. With add-ons, Borussia Dortmund could pocket up to £115m for the England international, which would make him the most expensive British player of all time.
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Yet, Declan Rice is set to be the owner of such a label in the interim as he gets set to leave West Ham United. Arsenal’s third bid of £105m is expected to be accepted after Man City withdrew their interest.
Elsewhere, Moises Caicedo is reported to be of interest to both Manchester United and Chelsea, with Brighton & Hove Albion said to want £100m. Meanwhile, the Londoners are holding out for £65m for Mason Mount after proposing a counter offer to the Red Devils after rejecting their third bid.
And then there’s Newcastle United. Having seemingly decided Nicolo Barella was too expensive even for them, with Inter Milan demanding £80m, they instead turned to AC Milan to tie up a £60m deal for Sandro Tonali.
Onlooking Liverpool fans could be forgiven for feeling envious, even after the Reds’ own signing of Mac Allister. Jurgen Klopp’s side are in the market for another one, if not two, midfielders this summer as part of a long-awaited engine-room revamp after all.
Bellingham had been a long-standing target, only for Liverpool to withdraw from the race for his signature back in April after conceding they were in need of multiple new quality midfield signings rather than one marquee addition. The Reds would also cool interest in Mount once learning Chelsea’s exorbitant asking price for a player with one year left on his contract.
And while supporters have urged Liverpool to enter the race for a Rice, Caicedo, or a Barella, it would seem the trio are beyond their financial grasp also. Consequently, such a stance will see fingers pointed at owners FSG along with accusations that they are not investing sufficiently in Klopp’s squad.
Of course, interest in Dominik Szoboszlai could be about to change such thinking. Liverpool are exploring the possibility of signing the Hungarian from RB Leipzig. The ECHO understands a meeting has taken place with Szoboszlai's Hungarian-based representatives EM Sports Management. What remains unclear, however, is his release clause situation. Reports elsewhere are conflicting over the expiry date, with a fixed fee of around £60m said to run out on June 30 or potentially last until mid-July.
Beyond the Hungarian, Liverpool continue to monitor their options ahead of making a second midfield move of the summer, with Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone, Ryan Gravenberch, Gabri Veiga, and Romeo Lavia also all players of interest featuring on their transfer shortlist. A younger profile of player for a more modest fee, it is clear that Liverpool, without the riches of Champions League football this season, are, rightly or wrongly, fishing in a different pond in comparison to the majority of their ‘Big Seven’ rivals.
Yet, some deals would have been doable had they been interested. While Man City have withdrawn interest in Rice, they have signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea in a £30m deal. Aged 29, the Croatian would never have been on the Reds’ radar, however.
Meanwhile, Youri Tielemans, Mahmoud Dahoud, and Jefferson Lerma have completed free transfer switches to Aston Villa, Brighton, and Crystal Palace respectively. Again, you won’t find any sign of Liverpool interest here.
But the Reds were linked with another midfielder on the move in the Premier League, with James Maddison set for a return to the English top-flight with Tottenham Hotspur.
The England international was always set to leave Leicester City this summer following their relegation, with the Foxes initially said to be holding out for £60m. However, the 26-year-old is set to complete a £40m move to North London after Spurs agreed a fee and personal terms.
Liverpool have been sporadically linked with Maddison in recent months, with their name often alongside Tottenham’s in the gossip columns when it came to the playmaker’s future. But while £40m would have been feasible, the Reds have evidently decided that Maddison wasn’t for them.
The fact that initial reports suggesting Liverpool were interested in Szoboszlai emerged just hours after word of Tottenham agreeing a fee for Maddison broke demonstrates how they were always looking elsewhere. Both versatile playmakers with an eye for both a goal and a pass, each man is also comfortable across midfield and attack, capable of playing as number eight, 10, false nine, or out wide on either flank.
Both players scored 10 goals last season, with Szoboszlai boasting 13 assists to Maddison's nine, though he admittedly played fewer games. The Hungarian might have never played in the Premier League, but he has Champions League experience and is four years the England international's junior. Consequently, it's easy why one might be more appealing than the other to club bosses.
Admittedly, speculation surrounding the Reds was always going to be heightened this summer, going hand in hand with the fact that, as reported by the ECHO back in March, the club’s shortlist of potential signings was longer than usual due to the uncertainty surrounding Liverpool’s season.
But with supporter eyes now on Szoboszlai after Reds interest emerged from seemingly nowhere, it shows club bosses aren’t just shopping in the bargain basement this summer. They want the obtainable best players for the best deals, providing they are financially viable.
Never one to pay over the odds for a player these days, such a stance is not unique. Man City, while boasting deeper pockets, also refuse to spend over their own valuation of players, with Rice only the latest example, following in the footsteps of the likes of Harry Maguire, and Marc Cucurella.
And while there is no guarantee that Liverpool will sign Szoboszlai, Reds interest would suggest they are not quite the paupers through choice that some FSG critics might portray them to be. Given their sudden emergence as contenders to sign the playmaker, it would seem they might have one or two more transfer surprises up their sleeves this summer as their midfield revamp continues.
