Here we go: Liverpool learn who their first £100m transfer will be

It's now becoming increasingly obvious who Liverpool's next big money signing is going to be.

So far the most money the Reds have spent upfront is on Virgil van Dijk, who Michael Edwards sanctioned a jaw-dropping £75m for back in 2018.

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At the time, this was seen as a ludicrous amount of money to spend by outsiders who were not aware of Van Dijk's quality. But in the seven years since, the fee has more than justified itself.

Van Dijk is now Liverpool's captain and he is one of the best players in the world, probably one of the best defenders to have ever played in the Premier League also.

In the years since, spending that much money has become almost a norm among Premier League sides. Nowadays no one bats an eye when a similar deal is being done to sign a relatively average player.

Inflation has changed the game but Liverpool have not really followed suit. They haven't broken the £100m barrier, even though many of their rivals already have.

And it's only going to be inevitable that the Reds will do it under Richard Hughes in the near future. But who could that player be?

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The answer is obvious and the latest report from The Athletic would back it up. Anfield Watch understands that Liverpool scouts really admire Morgan Rogers.

The Aston Villa star is seen as the perfect option to play the no.10 role and provide cover on the left-wing for Liverpool.

However, he's not going to be easy to prize away from Aston Villa. The Athletic's recent report on Rogers has claimed that he has attracted a lot of suitors but Villa are reluctant to sell him and that he is on a long-term contract until 2030.

This would suggest it would take a huge offer for Liverpool to sign Rogers, an offer that probably exceeds the £100m mark.

Villa are known to be tough negotiators. They demanded a lot of money for Jack Grealish in the past with Manchester City shelling out £100m to sign him.

One would expect a similar kind of fee for Rogers, which pretty much makes it inevitable that he would become Liverpool's first £100m signing.

It's a move that makes sense, though. There are many players who probably do not justify that kind of fee, but Rogers does.

He's a homegrown talent who still has years left to develop and become an elite attacker both for club and country. These kind of players you have to pay a premium for but it's because you need them in your team.

Liverpool especially are going to be in need of more homegrown talent in the coming years. Over the last few seasons, more and more homegrown players have left this Liverpool squad.

This summer Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah could all be in line to leave, facilitating the need for homegrown players even more.

Morgan is already a standout player with Champions League experience that is also a valuable factor for Liverpool.

In terms of his playing style, he's full of energy and he covers a lot of ground off the ball which would mean he'd pretty much just slot into Arne Slot's team, with the Dutchman requiring his players to put in the graft.

He's very well liked by the club's scouts and he's impressed every time he's been given the opportunity to do so.

Looking around the market, there are few players who warrant Liverpool paying that kind of transfer fee for. Rogers is undoubtedly one of them.

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And that's why we expect him to be Liverpool's first £100m transfer. You heard it here first.