Liverpool’s plans to revamp their midfield this year look set to remain on hold until the summer, with Jurgen Klopp repeatedly insisting that Cody Gakpo will be the only new arrival at Anfield in January.
Come transfer deadline day, that stance appears unchanged despite links with numerous midfielders. And while Liverpool’s financial situation, with owners FSG currently actively searching for new investors, will have played its part in such decision-making, the Reds’ first-choice targets are also not available as things stand.
Jude Bellingham is well-documented to be the club’s primary target, but with rival interest from Man City and Real Madrid, and Liverpool looking unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League, it remains to be seen if their pursuit of the Borussia Dortmund midfielder will be successful. The Bundesliga outfit have no intention of allowing the 19-year-old to leave before the summer, while it would take a club-record fee for the Reds to even stand a chance of landing the England international.
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Meanwhile, Liverpool also boast serious interest in Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes. The Portugal international only joined Wolves last summer in a £44m deal, having also been linked with the Reds prior to leaving Sporting Lisbon.
The ECHO reported earlier this month that Liverpool's interest in Nunes has been described as 'long standing' and the Reds did assess the merits of the 24-year-old last term during his final season in Portugal's Primeira Liga. Meanwhile, the club boasts a good relationship with the midfielder’s Gestifute agency, having worked with them during deals for the likes of Fabinho, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, with sporting director Julian Ward, in particular, also enjoying a closeness with key figures at the Jorge Mendes-founded company.
Liverpool are also on good terms with Wolves, having amicably and decisively agreed a complicated structure when signing Diogo Jota back in September 2020 in a deal that saw Ki-Jana Hoever go the other way.
However, Nunes is another target who is not currently available, with the Portugal international ineligible to play for any other side this season having played for Sporting prior to his switch to Wolves in August. Under current laws, players are eligible to be registered for a maximum of three clubs in the same season but can only play for two, meaning there would be little point in signing the 24-year-old this month.
As a result, Liverpool are tipped to pursue a deal for Nunes in the summer, with him likely to cost at least £50m.
But while there is little point in any side moving for the midfielder now, Wolves have seemingly moved early to sign a long-term replacement for the Portuguese.
It has been a busy January for new manager Julen Lopetegui, with the West Midlands side signing six senior players so far this month. And among that hexet, they’ve signed three new midfielders.
Wolves snapped up experienced pair Mario Lemina for £9.7m from Nice and Pablo Sarabia from Paris Saint-Germain for £4.4m earlier in the month. But it was the £15m arrival of Joao Gomes on Monday that could free up Nunes for a future move.
Joining from Flamengo, the 21-year-old has signed a five-and-a-half year deal, with his contract also having the option of an additional year. Meanwhile, Wolves saw off competition from Lyon to land Gomes, who was also linked with Liverpool earlier this month.
He only made his debut in November 2020 but has won the Copa Libertadores, Brazilian Serie A league title and domestic cup during his time with Flamengo.
Signing mid-season from Brazil, Gomes is clearly going to need time to adjust to English football and is a signing for the future. But his January arrival gives him plenty of time to bed in, before potentially replacing Nunes, should he depart, as a starter come the summer.
Whether Liverpool do move for the Portuguese remains to be seen. But with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, and Juventus loanee Arthur Melo not contracted to the club beyond the end of the season, it’s clear the Reds will need multiple new arrivals when their midfield revamp belatedly gets underway.
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