Liverpool got their first piece of business done early in the January transfer window, with news of Cody Gakpo’s move from PSV Eindhoven arriving before the month had even begun.
Jurgen Klopp is delighted to have strengthened his side with the addition of the versatile Dutch attacker, but there remain weaknesses in his squad. The injury to Virgil van Dijk has once again exposed a potential lack of depth in central defence – but it is midfield where things are most acute.
Liverpool are set to lose James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita at the end of June, when their contracts expire. Meanwhile, on-loan Arthur will return to Juventus, with the Reds not keen on signing him permanently.
That’s a big hole which needs filling, so Mirror Football takes a look at the latest rumours of who might fill it.
Bellingham value skyrocketing
Jude Bellingham is Liverpool’s primary transfer target for the upcoming summer, but landing him won’t be easy.
First of all, Liverpool face competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, who have the finances to create a bidding war for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder. Secondly, he will command a gigantic transfer fee.
Dortmund reportedly value him at around £130million, but a fresh report states his real value is actually much higher, at a whopping £183m. That makes him the most valuable player in the world, ahead of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland.
You can read more about the valuation from CIES Football Observatory here.
Caicedo changes agent
Bellingham isn’t the only midfielder on Liverpool’s radar. There is also Brighton star Moises Caicedo, who came close to joining Liverpool in the summer, only for them to opt for Arthur on deadline day.
Caicedo is reportedly happy at the Seagulls for the time-being, with the club performing well under Roberto De Zerbi. Nevertheless, he appears to be gearing up for a summer move, with Fabrizio Romano noting that he is ‘preparing’ for a move by changing agents, employing Manuel Sierra and Ali Barat to represent him.
The 21-year-old Ecuador international is under contract with Brighton until June 2025 and, as they’ve shown in the transfer fees for Ben White (£50m) and Marc Cucurella (£60m), the Seagulls don’t sell cheap.
Is Moises Caicedo the midfielder Liverpool need? Have your say in the comments!
Chelsea join Kone race
Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone is another name who has been linked with Liverpool recently.
Kone joined Gladbach from Toulouse in 2021 and has played 44 times for the Bundesliga outfit since the start of the 2021/22 campaign. The France under-21 international has caught the eye for the German club and is on the radar of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and PSG.
Chelsea have reportedly joined that mix, with the 21-year-old fitting into Todd Boehly’s plan of signing young stars on big contracts. A January transfer may not be on the cards, but a summer move is considered likely, according to reports.
