Liverpool transfer speculation was always going to be heightened this summer, with the Reds poised for one of their more-active windows.
In recent seasons, there have been limited incomings at Anfield with Jurgen Klopp’s squad only needing minor tweaks during a five-year cycle which saw them win every major prize on offer to them.
Over the past two years, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, and Ibrahima Konate have been solitary big-money arrivals, though the Uruguayan was complemented by teenagers Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay.
And while Kostas Tsimikas, Thiago Alcantanra, and Diogo Jota were an incoming trio in the summer of 2021, free agent veteran goalkeepers Adrian and Andy Lonergan, teenagers Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg, and the mid-season signing of Takumi Minamino after his £7.25m release clause was activated represent Liverpool’s only other incomings since winning the Champions League in 2019.
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But with Klopp’s first great Reds side now at the end of its cycle, as demonstrated by an ageing squad navigating a transitional campaign in 2022/23, it has always been clear increased surgery would be required this summer as Liverpool plot a midfield revamp.
Alexis Mac Allister was the first new arrival, joining from Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee believed to be in the region of £35m within two weeks of the Premier League season finishing. The World Cup winner is expected to be one of two, if not three, new engine-room arrivals this summer, with a left-sided centre-back also on the Reds’ wishlist.
Of course, Liverpool’s flailing fortunes last season complicated matters on the transfer front. While they initially wanted Jude Bellingham, they withdrew from the race to sign the England international in April, acknowledging that a number of quality new recruits was required rather than one marquee new signing, with their transfer budget needing to be spread accordingly.
Meanwhile, the uncertainty over whether the Reds would qualify for this season’s Champions League or not also presented question marks over budget and the players Liverpool would be able to target.
As a result, the club’s shortlist of potential signings was longer than usual, as reported by the ECHO back in March. Heightened transfer speculation ultimately came hand-in-hand with such forward-planning as a result, with a major summer always expected at Anfield.
After signing Mac Allister, in midfield alone Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone, Ryan Gravenberch, Gabri Veiga, and Romeo Lavia are believed to be just some of the names on Liverpool’s list of potential signings, first reported by the ECHO earlier this summer. Meanwhile, defensively, Levi Colwill has his admirers at Anfield, while the Reds continue to be linked with both Micky van de Ven and Goncalo Inacio.
Enquiries and talks of sorts have been held regarding some of the linked players as a result, but this is just the Reds’ normal due diligence as they weigh up their options rather than ‘stepped up’ transfer talks, with no new developments regarding Liverpool’s incoming business at this time.
While reports in recent days have suggested that the Reds are in talks for the likes of Lavia and Veiga, club sources have dismissed such speculation with Liverpool not yet at a stage where they accelerate attempts to land their second signing of the summer.
Klopp had previously suggested he would like to see new signings brought in in time for the start of pre-season on July 8, it was quickly acknowledged that that would not be possible. For starters, a number of players of interest are currently competing in the Under-21s European Championships in Romania and Georgia, which is set to conclude the same day the Reds report back for pre-season.
As a result, if Liverpool were to move for any of the competing players, they would have to wait for their international exploits to be over. Meanwhile, if signed, such players would be afforded holiday before reporting for pre-season towards the end of July, nullifying the need for swift progress on such transfers as a result.
Admittedly, Lavia is not competing in the European Championships because of injury, while Veiga’s contract is believed to possess a £34m transfer release clause. Consequently, if the Reds were pushing ahead with a transfer for either player at this time, they would be free to agree terms now.
Instead, reported talks and enquiries remain just due diligence as Liverpool continue to weigh up their options, with a number of players on their shortlist ahead of whittling it down further to their one desired target.
Such a practice is nothing new at Anfield. In 2020, the Reds had two other players of interest in Ismaila Sarr and Jonathan David before they signed Jota, while Kostas Tsimikas arrived after they had also run the rule over Sergio Reguillon, Lloyd Kelly and Jamal Lewis. Yet such confirmation only came after Liverpool made their definitive moves.
As a result, while the Reds could press ahead with efforts to sign a Lavia or Veiga later this summer, they could equally just leave their initial discussions as nothing more than just that, in favour of bringing in alternative targets instead.
While some of Liverpool's shortlisted names are indeed public knowledge, the Reds are yet to make their decisive move.
