Talks have taken place over turning Nottingham Forest defender Richie Laryea’s loan switch to Toronto FC into a permanent move.
The full-back signed for the Reds from the Major League Soccer outfit in January, reportedly turning down the offer of fresh four-year terms in order to link up with Steve Cooper’s side. He penned a three-and-a-half-year contract in a deal thought to be worth about $1m (roughly £740,000).
However, he struggled to break into the Forest team and made just five appearances last season, with only one of those coming in the starting XI. Amid a summer overhaul following promotion to the Premier League, he was one of a number of departures from the City Ground.
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Klopp's thoughts
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Nottingham Forest’s predicament will make for an even tougher test on Saturday than the one his team faced in the FA Cup last season.
The Reds went toe-to-toe with Klopp’s men at the City Ground in March, pushing them all the way as they fell 1-0 at the quarter-final stage of the competition. Diogo Jota’s goal proved to be the difference on that occasion, but the hosts created some decent chances of their own - including one for loanee Philip Zinckernagel shortly before the late winner.
Much has changed Trentside since then, following promotion to the Premier League, not least in terms of personnel. It will be a very different Forest side which lines up for the 12.30pm kick-off, on the back of a summer overhaul which saw 22 signings made.
Moreover, the last time the teams met, Steve Cooper’s team were unbeaten in nine in all competitions as they battled at the top end of the Championship. This weekend, they go into the game without a win in nine Premier League outings and sitting bottom of the table. But Klopp knows the difference the home crowd can make, and he also expects Forest to be galvanised by their situation.
Transfer regret?
Nottingham Forest made a mistake when completing their transfer business in the summer by not strengthening the spine of the team with a "trustworthy core".
That's the view of former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne, who is not convinced they have brought in the leaders needed to compete in the Premier League. Forest spent around £145 million in the transfer market, bringing in 23 new players.
The ex-Republic of Ireland international says that the Reds were right to bring in so many new faces given the number of exits at the end of last season. But he does not feel that some of their marquee signings, such as Jesse Lingard and Morgan Gibbs-White, bring enough consistency or leadership qualities around which to build a winning side.
"They needed to sign players, because they had so many loan players last season and players out of contract. I think they shocked themselves getting into the Premier League. They've arrived and needed to get a lot of signings in," Dunne told Premier Sports.
Cooper's plan
A tough start to the season hasn’t changed Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper’s football philosophy - but the harsh reality of the Premier League does make it harder to implement his ideas.
Following a run in which they shipped 18 goals in five games, the Reds have focused on tightening up at the back in recent outings. They registered their first league clean-sheet on the road on Tuesday night at Brighton and Hove Albion, making it two goals conceded in three matches.
At the other end of the pitch, creating chances and finding the back of the net remains an issue, however. That is in contrast to last season, when Cooper was quick to instil an attacking brand of play which saw Forest go toe-to-toe with Saturday’s opponents Liverpool in a pulsating FA Cup tie back in March.
The Welshman says his footballing principles have stayed the same amid the step up in divisions. But he acknowledges sometimes compromises have to be made at the top level as the Reds go in search of results.
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