Liverpool are internally discussing a move for Douglas Luiz ahead of transfer deadline day, according to a report.
The Reds have overseen a complete rebuild of their midfield this summer, with five players having departed in that position.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both accepted lucrative moves to the Saudi Pro League this summer, while Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain left upon the expiry of their contracts.
And while Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo have come in as reinforcements, Liverpool still look short in midfield.
The Reds had hoped to sign Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, agreeing on a fee with Brighton and Southampton respectively. However, both snubbed the Merseyside club, opting to sign for Chelsea instead.
Liverpool are looking to add further midfielders to their ranks before Friday’s deadline, with Aston Villa’s Luiz the latest player to have been linked.
Indeed, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs claimed that the Reds have “discussed” making a move for the ex-Manchester City midfielder.
Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Yeah, Douglas Luiz is a name that has been discussed internally by Liverpool. I’m not aware of any movement at this point.
“I think that it’s crystal clear that Liverpool wants to add between now and the end of the window if the right name becomes available. I would still keep an eye on Ryan Gravenberch because that’s a long-standing Liverpool target and the player is keen on the move.
“It’s just a case of Bayern insisting they don’t want to sell and we wait and see towards the end of the window whether anything changes there. I think from Liverpool’s point of view as well, because they put that £111m down unsuccessfully for Moises Caicedo, they’ve sent a message out to the market that they’ve got big money to spend.
“That might mean that they have to pay above the odds if they do want a last-minute window target because there’s the urgency there to get a deal done on Liverpool’s part. Everyone now knows they’ve got the finances.
“That was very different originally when they were fighting over a Lavia fee, and making offers that were small increases around the low £40m’s. But then obviously, as soon as they put down £111m for Moses Caicedo, the whole market is aware that they’ve got a big chunk of money that they are prepared to spend for the right target. So, let’s wait and see whether Liverpool can get value on the midfielder that they’re looking for between now and the end of the window.”
Luiz is unlikely to be cheap, however, with three years still to run on his Villa contact. Elsewhere Liverpool have reportedly expressed an interest in the likes of Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure.
Al Ittihad are heating up their transfer pursuit of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah – and the Reds have already identified their perfect replacement if he leaves the club.
At present, Liverpool’s stance – publicly stated by manager Jurgen Klopp – is that Salah is not for sale, with the club desperate to keep hold of him beyond the current transfer window.
The Egyptian has made no comment on his future, but his agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, took to Twitter earlier this month to confirm that Salah is fully committed to Liverpool.
There is no indication that, even if a big-money offer does come in from Al Ittihad, Salah would accept it, given the fact he signed a three-year contract with Liverpool last summer and remains in the prime of his career in Europe.
According to CBS Sports, the Saudi Pro League side are preparing a bid of around £130 million to sign the 31-year-old, and plan to make him one of the world’s highest-paid players.
Meanwhile, Liverpool appear to be setting up a contingency plan should, from their perspective, the unthinkable happens that would see Salah leave Anfield.
Liverpool ‘identify Mo Salah replacement’
According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Reds have identified Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi and Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane as potential replacements for Salah.
A move for Sane would arrive with the advantage of the player having Premier League experience with Manchester City.
Adeyemi, meanwhile, is just 21 but has already impressed during spells with RB Leipzig and Dortmund.
But their top target is said to be Juventus star Federico Chiesa, who has been consistently linked with a move to the Reds during the current window.
After signing for Juve on loan from Fiorentina in 2020, the Italy international provided 15 goal contributions in his debut season for the club.
But he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in January 2022, and missed eight months of action as a result.
He made 21 Serie A appearances last term, with the majority of those from the bench, as he worked his way back to full match sharpness.
Chiesa has started this season well, scoring in Juve’s 3-0 win over Udinese on the opening day of the Serie A campaign.
His injury struggles have led to a dip in value from €70 million to €40 million, as per Transfermarkt, but Juve are likely to still command a premium for one of their key assets as he returns to his pre-injury form levels.
Liverpool could be set to receive a major transfer windfall – as a result of a decision made by the club’s former sporting director Michael Edwards.
Edwards worked in various roles at Anfield after being brought to the club in 2011, and became the club’s first sporting director in November 2016.
He played a key role in negotiating transfers, both incoming and outgoing, and enjoyed a strong relationship with manager Jurgen Klopp.
Edwards left the club in the summer of 2022, with Liverpool’s transfer strategy appearing to be more disjointed since his departure.
While he was at Anfield, Edwards was involved in deals to bring Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker to the club, with all five becoming significant players in the team that won the Champions League and Premier League titles in consecutive years.
Liverpool could earn transfer windfall due to Michael Edwards
One area that Edwards excelled in was selling young Liverpool prospects for substantial fees, with not all of those going on to be a success elsewhere.
Jordon Ibe and Rhian Brewster were sold for combined fees of £40 million, and negotiated the £10 million sale of goalkeeper Danny Ward to Leicester.
One decision that also looks set to pay off is the sanctioning of Dominic Solanke’s transfer to Bournemouth for an initial fee of £19 million.
While Solanke was not a first team regular at Anfield, and took time to hit top form at Bournemouth, he smashed in 29 goals in the Championship in the 2021/22 campaign.
He continued that form into last season, netting six goals in 33 appearances.
He scored a late equaliser for the Cherries in their 1-1 draw against West Ham on the opening weekend of the current Premier League campaign. Reports claim that the Hammers are interested in signing Solanke as they look for a replacement for Gianluca Scamacca.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Bournemouth have activated most of the add-ons involved in the original deal to take Solanke to Dean Court, up to around £24 million, but two clauses still remain.
It is claimed that one of these is a 20 per cent profit sell-on clause, which could see Liverpool recoup millions of pounds should a move to West Ham go through.
Football Insider reported on Monday that the Hammers have submitted a formal offer of around £35-40 million for Solanke – meaning Liverpool could net up to £5 million as a result.
Topics: Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, Michael Edwards, Premier League, Transfers
Liverpool have named Crystal Palace star Cheick Doucoure as their number one transfer target this summer, according to a report.
The Reds have already completed three additions to their midfield this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all joining the club.
But that has been offset by departures, with both Fabinho and club captain Jordan Henderson moving to the Saudi Pro League.
With James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all released, manager Jurgen Klopp is eyeing up other options.
Liverpool target Crystal Palace star Cheick Doucoure
According to Football Insider, the Reds are desperate to complete a deal for the 24-year-old Mali international, having assigned him as the key target for the remainder of the window.
However, he is valued at £70 million by Palace, who do not want to lose another star player this summer after the departure of Wilfried Zaha to Galatasaray.
But Doucoure, who has been described as ‘incredibly complete’ by analytical website Breaking the Lines, would be a significant signing for Klopp’s side as they look to challenge at the top of the Premier League once again.
And with the Reds already missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, they are now having to turn to other options to fill the problematic defensive midfield spot. It is claimed they will go ‘all out’ for Doucoure.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Newcastle on Sunday, Klopp spoke about how there is ‘not a lot of space for failure’ when it comes to transfers.
He said: “Since I’ve been here, we have had to [live within our means]. The club has had to, and of course that doesn’t make it easier.
“The problem is not our situation, it’s just in comparison to the other main teams. We have to be on point. That’s pretty much the thing.”
Liverpool have confirmed Wataru Endo’s new shirt number after making the move from VfB Stuttgart.
Endo has joined the Merseysiders for a fee in the region of €19m (£16.2m), putting pen to paper on a four-year contract at Anfield.
The 30-year-old’s arrival comes after Liverpool missed out on signing both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, who sealed a move to Stamford Bridge from Brighton and Southampton respectively.
Endo, meanwhile, will help make up for the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Hednerson, who have both made the popular switch to the Saudi Pro League this summer.
The Japan international could even feature against Bournemouth on Saturday, with the player likely to fit in alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai as part of a midfield three.
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