Zubimendi BOOST, defensive targets IDENTIFIED - Liverpool FC news recap
By
George James
George James
Here is all the latest Liverpool news from Friday 9 August. Zubimendi is keen on a move to Liverpool, Aston Villa are interested in Joe Gomez and Liverpool are about to receive a transfer windfall from a forgotten star.
Arne Slot impressed by Carvalho
Arne Slot has reportedly been impressed by one 21-year-old at Liverpool this summer. Is it enough to keep him at the club?
The Times reports that Fabio Carvalho has impressed Arne Slot in preseason as clubs line up to sign him from Liverpool. The Portuguese playmaker has been something of a forgotten man at Anfield for the last 18 months.
Carvalho arrived with a lot of hype on the back of a brilliant promotion season with Fulham. Liverpool moved to sign him - even waited for him - and his debut season started brightly.
Zubimendi keen on Liverpool move
Liverpool’s top target Martín Zubimendi is very interested in a move to Merseyside according to some top journalists.
Despite reports earlier in the week that Real Sociedad had mounted a charm offensive to keep Zubimendi in San Sebastián, Liverpool seem to have turned the head of the 25-year-old.
Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that the Euros winner is “really, really tempted to join Liverpool” as he believes the club is “really something special”.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Zubimendi was Liverpool’s top target in the no.6 position and since then things have moved very quickly, with Liverpool and Real Sociedad now locked in negotiations for the holding midfielder.
Now, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has backed up local reports from San Sebastián by confirming that Zubimendi wants to join Liverpool “with immediate effect”.
Liverpool miss out on wonderkid
Liverpool look set to miss out on Hoffenheim wonderkid Maximilian Beier as Borussia Dortmund are close to landing his signature.
The 21-year-old has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time and the links have not disappeared this summer.
Despite Liverpool’s interest in the German international, Beier has made the decision to join BVB this summer according to Florian Plettenberg.
Beier scored an impressive 16 goals in 33 league games for Hoffenheim last season and has attracted interest from a number of top clubs this window.
How could Liverpool line up with Zubimendi?
It isn’t yet official but the signs are fairly promising. Martin Zubimendi looks set to become the first transfer of the Arne Slot era at Liverpool.
The 25-year-old has previously rejected the advances of Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, opting instead to stay with his boyhood club, Real Sociedad. The Reds, however, appear to have done the impossible. They have, according to multiple reports, managed to convince the Euro 2024 winner to leave the Anoeta Stadium.
Leveraging Richard Hughes’ relationship with Zubimendi’s agent, Inaki Ibanez, Liverpool have seemingly sold the midfielder on the idea of progressing his career at Anfield. All of the noise coming out of Spain is that the Real Sociedad maestro is going to be playing his trade in the Premier League this season.
His arrival does cause some problems though.
Slot, somehow, needs to find a way to balance his midfield options. And he’s not exactly short when it comes to that particular area of the team.
Liverpool identify two defensive targets
Liverpool have come to a a decision as they look to target reinforcements at the centre-back position ahead of their Premier League opener next week.
Having already seen Joel Matip depart the club this summer, and with Joe Gomez and Sepp van den Berg potentially heading for the exit door at Anfield too, the Reds have seen themselves linked with a whole host of names throughout the summer window.
According to an article written by journalist Ben Jacobs, Liverpool have narrowed down their search for a centre-back to two potential names, Maxence Lacroix and Antonio Silva.
Lacroix has played his football at Wolfsburg in Germany since 2020, and is currently managed by former Premier League boss Ralph Hasenhüttl. The 24 year-old Frenchman has been linked with moves in the past, although Wolfsburg haven’t set a specific price tag for him.
The second defender Jacobs named, Silva, has been receiving tons of praise since he broke into Benfica’s first team as a teenager two seasons back.
Villa want Gomez
Liverpool’s longest serving player, Joe Gomez, is now the subject of interest from Premier League side Aston Villa.
The defender has been involved in a number of transfer stories this summer and was reportedly left ‘perturbed’ after being involved in a deal that would have seen him head to Newcastle and Anthony Gordon head the other way.
Now Aston Villa have earmarked the 15-cap England international as a potential replacement should Diego Carlos leave the club according to The Telegraph.
Gomez played 51 times for Liverpool last season and is able to deploy right across the back line when needed but this hasn’t stopped reports that Liverpool are looking to sign defensive reinforcements both at centre half, where Gomez has been used the most throughout his career, and at left back, where Gomez played frequently in the last campaign.
Liverpool set for transfer windfall
Liverpool could be set to make a massive profit as a former player is set for a big-money move to a Premier League rival.
Reported by The Transfers Podcast, Tottenham have agreed a club record deal with Bournemouth which would see former Reds striker Dominic Solanke move to North London for a £65 million fee.
Finishing the 2024/24 Premier League season with 19 goals, Solanke finally seems to have found his feet at the top level, something which had eluded him earlier in his career.
Sold by Liverpool in January 2019, Solanke has been a key part of a Bournemouth side that have really impressed under the direction of coach Andoni Iraola and new Reds sporting director Richard Hughes.
Koumas set for Championship loan
One of Liverpool's hottest prospects, Lewis Koumas, looks set to make a loan move to Championship side Stoke City after agreeing to a new deal.
Koumas was one of the most impressive in a flock of young talent brought into the first-team picture during Jürgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield and he is now reaping the rewards.
The 18-year-old has already made two appearances for Wales and became the fourth youngest player ever to score on their Liverpool debut when he netted against Southampton in the FA cup last season. Former boss Klopp hailed him as 'fantastic' after an impressive first outing.
Now Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail is reporting that Koumas has put pen to paper on a new deal with Liverpool and will be sent out on loan to championship side Stoke City next season to gain some more first team experience.
Stefan Bajcetic decision made by Arne Slot
Liverpool are willing to let Stefan Bajcetic leave the club on loan this summer, according to a new report.
Having fought back from his fitness issues and put in a solid pre-season under new head coach Arne Slot, it was believed that the 19-year-old would stick around at Anfield for the upcoming campaign to provide depth in defensive midfield.
However, according to Liverpool news outlet DaveOCKOP, Slot has made it clear that he is willing to let Bajectic leave the club on loan before the transfer window slams shut.
Reportedly, the young Spaniard has been informed of Slot's decision.
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