Having completed the signing of Darwin Nunez on Tuesday night, for a potential club-record £85m fee if add-ons are activated, Liverpool will ultimately recoup the majority of this outlay through player sales this summer.
The Reds brought in the Uruguayan from Benfica as they prepare for life without Sadio Mane, with the Senegalese pursuing a new challenge after six years at Anfield and Bayern Munich wanting to sign the forward to replace Robert Lewandowski. The Bavarians have had two bids rejected for the 30-year-old so far, with their latest offer an overall £30m package, which was thrown out due to the fantastical nature of the proposed add-ons.
Liverpool are holding out for a fee closer to £42.5m for Mane, with it still looking likely that he will indeed move on in the weeks ahead. Whether Bayern meet the Reds’ asking price or a compromise needs to be reached remains to be seen, but the forward won’t be the only player club bosses cash in on this summer.
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Monaco, Leeds United, Southampton and Wolves are all interested in Takumi Minamino, with Liverpool placing a £17m price on his head. Meanwhile, Neco Williams and Nat Phillips both have asking prices of £15m if they are to move on permanently, although the ECHO understands the Reds aren’t against retaining the pair as contracted players.
And Liverpool will also listen to offers of around £10m for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the midfielder, who has a year left on his contract, having fallen down the pecking order at Anfield after an injury-plagued Reds career. Yet the club could also profit thanks to previous transfer dealings.
With Nelson Semedo ahead of him in the pecking order at Molineux, Ki-Jana Hoever ’s move to Wolves has ultimately not panned out as he would have liked. The Dutchman joined the West Midlands outfit from the Reds for an initial £9m in the summer of 2020, in a deal which could rise to £13.5m with add-ons, but the 20-year-old has been limited to nine Premier League starts over the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, his last appearance for Wolves came against Crystal Palace back at the start of March as he was forced off with injury midway through the first half, with manager Bruno Lage blasting the defender’s preparation after the 2-0 defeat. As a result it is perhaps no surprise that Hoever could be allowed to move on this summer.
Ajax and PSV Eindhoven are both reportedly interested in signing the former Liverpool defender, with talk of a loan switch or permanent exit both mooted. If it’s the latter, the Reds could profit having included a 15% sell-on clause in the deal that took the defender to Molineux.
As a result, if Wolves did sell Hoever for more than £9m, plus whatever they’ve parted with from the further £4.5m in add-ons, Liverpool would be entitled to 15% of the profit earned. Of course, such clauses have been common practice in outgoing Reds deals under the watchful eye of former sporting director Michael Edwards, which looks set to continue under his replacement Julian Ward, with the defender not the only former player club bosses will be keeping a close eye on this summer.
After goal-laden seasons last year, both Dominic Solanke and Taiwo Awoniyi have been linked with big-money moves in recent months. The England international joined AFC Bournemouth in a deal worth £24m that included a 20% sell-on clause in January 2019, while a 10% sell-on clause was included in the £6.5m transfer that took the Nigerian to Union Berlin last summer.
While the Cherries’ promotion back to the Premier League might ultimately see Solanke stay put at the Vitality Stadium, a £35m price tag was placed on his head to scare off interested clubs back in January. Meanwhile, Awoniyi, who is reportedly keen to test himself in the English top-flight, continues to be monitored by the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United and Southampton and could fetch a £25m fee.
Elsewhere, Ryan Kent continues to be linked with a return to England after joining Rangers in a £7m deal that included a 20% sell-on clause back in the summer of 2019. In his three permanent seasons at Ibrox, the winger has lifted both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup, while he helped the ‘Gers reach the Europa League final last season.
Out of contract next summer, Rangers are concerned about the prospect of losing the 25-year-old for nothing and accept they won't be able to offer the same sort of wages that could be on offer elsewhere, with the likes of Leeds, Everton, Wolves, Fulham and RB Leipzig all credited with interest in recent months. Therefore, if he’s sold for more than £7m, Liverpool will be entitled to 20% of any profit made on their former academy starlet.
The situation is more complicated when it comes to former Red Luis Alberto, however. The Spaniard joined Lazio in the summer of 2016 in a £4.3m deal, with Liverpool negotiating a 30% sell-on clause, and, having established himself as one of the most impressive playmakers in Serie A, has often been linked with a big-money move away from the eternal city.
Having not always seen eye-to-eye with new manager Maurizio Sarri last season, a transfer could come to fruition this summer with both Napoli and Sevilla credited with interest in his services. Lazio president Claudio Lotito is said to value the Spaniard at €50m, but a number of reports in Italy claim the 29-year-old would be allowed to depart for €30-35m.
If that happened, the Reds would pocket a substantial fee thanks to their 30% sell-on clause. Yet that price-tag is reportedly beyond the reach of Napoli. As a result, Italian reports suggest they could sound out a potential swap deal with Piotr Zielinski and Matteo Politano, both touted as players who could move the other way to Lazio.
Should such a deal materialise, Lazio would perhaps fetch €10m for Alberto’s services on top of a player moving the other way - essentially doubling the fee they spent on the Spaniard in the first place. And while Liverpool would be entitled to 30% of the profit, such a figure pales in comparison to what they would receive if the Spaniard moved for full valuation.
Yet despite interest from Napoli, reports also claim Alberto favours a return to Spain with Sevilla said to have opened talks last months before focussing on outgoing business as they look to generate funds. Of course, this isn’t the first time the Spaniard has been linked with a big-money move away from Lazio and the Reds will continue to monitor his situation throughout the summer as they lie in wait for any potential windfall.
