Liverpool transfer news today: Mo Salah plans, Ederson wanted

Here's our Liverpool transfer news roundup for Saturday, 20th January 2024. Saudi Arabian teams loom once again.

Liverpool won't be signing anyone this month, it seems. Jurgen Klopp has essentially confirmed that and all planning appears to be for the summer.

But that doesn't mean there isn't news and rumour aplenty. Here's the latest Liverpool transfer news to get a grip of.

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Liverpool want Ederson

Liverpool want Atalanta midfielder Ederson but Newcastle United are ready to rival them for the Brazilian. A deal could be done.

Gazzetta dello Sport report that Liverpool are interested in signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson. Though, they will face competition from Newcastle United.

In fact, this one could get complicated. Ederson's midfield partner, Teun Koopmeiners, is wanted by Juventus. Atalanta will not sell both players, however, and that means someone is going to have to make a big offer to 'win' this race.

If you don't complete a deal before someone signs even one of these players, after all, you're not getting your man.

No price is suggested for Ederson but £34m wouldn't be enough for Koopmeiners. It seems reasonable to suggest that the same could be said about the Brazilian.

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Change of Mo Salah plans

Ben Jacobs reports that Mohamed Salah is still very much a target in Saudi Arabia - but plans have changed. Liverpool rejected a monster £150m offer in the summer from Al-Ittihad and will brace themselves for something similar this summer.

However, the club given 'priority' to sign him is now Al-Hilal.

"He remains a target, but Salah is settled at Liverpool so a move is by no means guaranteed this summer," Jacbos tells CaughtOffside. "The feeling is Salah will eventually go to Saudi, but summer 2024 isn’t a given.

"It is likely Al-Hilal will try this summer, though, having had Salah on their wishlist last summer as well. They are on course to win the Saudi Pro League and are expected to be given priority ahead of Al-Ittihad."

Thiago wanted in the Middle East

Another one from Jacob's CaughtOffside article. He understands that Thiago is now being 'actively pursued' by Saudi clubs as his Liverpool contract expires this summer.

"Thiago Alcantara is another name several Saudi clubs are actively pursuing with a view to persuading him to sign a pre-contract," he writes. "Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq are one of the interested teams."

Jordan Henderson's replacement, then? Starting to sound that way and the Spaniard will certainly get plenty of offers as a free agent at the end of the season.

Now we just need to see if he can get back on the pitch for Liverpool before then.

Klopp's guarantee

Jurgen Klopp was also able to offer a 'guarantee' for the rest of the January window - though, it's not a guarantee that will generate much excitement.

"A sporting director like Jorg helped a lot in the last window, definitely but you are right, at the moment it looks like it will be a quiet window, I can guarantee that but at the moment it is all fine," Klopp explained, per the Liverpool Echo.

Don't expect any late incomings, then. Liverpool will stick with what they've got and compete on four fronts with that squad. Planning for the summer will be the only issue, which is currently the final job for Schmadtke before his contract expires.