SUBSTANTIAL Yoro links, Rabiot LEAVES Juve, £65M FIRESALE - Liverpool transfer news today

Liverpool have had a quiet start to this summer's transfer window. No senior incomings have yet been confirmed but there have been a number of departures from the backroom, the youth and academy sections as well as the first team. 

The wait goes on for new players coming in to improve the squad for head coach Arne Slot, who is preparing for his first season in charge.

Richard Hughes, the new sporting director, and FSG's Head of Football Michael Edwards are running the rule over a number of targets but it remains to be seen when Reds fans can toast a new arrival.

Here is your transfer recap for Wednesday July 3.

Yoro links 'have real substance'

Liverpool are only in for one player during the summer transfer window - Lille centre back Leny Yoro - and they expect him to move to Real Madrid. 

That’s according to James Pearce in the Athletic, who claims that the rumour mill around Anfield is currently in “overdrive” despite a lack of transfer activity this summer. 

It's not what fans will want to hear from Richard Hughes - the new sporting director - and Michael Edwards - FSG's CEO of Football, with supporters expecting the squad to be improved from last season.

The Reds have been linked with plenty of players during the off-season, their first in the post-Jurgen Klopp era, with centre backs, midfielders and wide attackers the most frequently mentioned positions to be filled. 

Contract uncertainty over Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold - whose terms expire in 2025 - mean long-term solutions are being sought in defence and on the wings. 

Nonetheless, only the links with Yoro have got “real substance”, according to Pearce. And, even so, the club believe he will end up at Real Madrid. 

Yoro, 18, is also out of contract in 2025 and Lille will not want to lose their academy star for nothing next summer. 

Three new faces expected

Liverpool are expected to make a maximum of three summer signings for Arne Slot's debut campaign, according to a recent report. 

It promises to be an interesting summer for the Reds regardless of incomings and outgoings, with new head coach Slot taking charge of his first pre-season with the club.

The 45-year-old will participate in his first Liverpool press conference this Friday having already conducted his first interview on Merseyside.

He will need time to assess his squad ahead of the new season, which will prove a challenge given that many of his brightest stars are currently on international duty.

As a result, Liverpool may be more active in the transfer market towards the end of the window, with very little in the way of movement so far.

However, any supporters expecting a flurry of activity are unlikely to be satisfied as Liverpool prepare for a maximum of three first-team signings according to a report from Football Insider.

They suggest that - as should always be the case - Liverpool will only green light deals for the right players, with the potential for three fresh first-team additions.

Rabiot WALKS FREE from Juve

Reported Liverpool transfer target Adrien Rabiot is now officially a FREE AGENT following the expiry of his Juventus contract. 

The 29-year-old has paused all conversations about his future until after the European Championship according to ilBiancoNero, with his France side having qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Belgium in the last 16. 

Rabiot won’t be playing in the quarter-finals having picked up a suspension with Didier Deschamps now having a decision to make over who replaces the midfielder for the Portugal showdown. 

It emerged last week that Liverpool were considering an attempt for the former Paris Saint-Germain star, who has been with Juve since moving on a free transfer in 2019. 

The Italian giants were reported to have been surprised that their attempts to renew Rabiot’s contract before Euro 2024 had gone unanswered by the player and his agent, mother Veronique. 

Rabiot was offered a new two-year deal with an option for a third on an annual salary of €7 million but jetted off to Germany with his Les Bleus’ colleagues before replying to Juventus club bosses. 

£65M summer clearout

The Athletic reports that Liverpool hope to bring in around £65m when selling three non-starting players this summer. Of course, that depends on teams paying their asking prices.

Caoimhin Kelleher is the priciest of the trio. The Irishman has made no secret of his desire to be a no.1 goalkeeper going forward, something that isn’t going to happen at Liverpool unless Alisson Becker leaves.

The Reds are going to hold onto him until a big offer comes in, though. The asking price is at £25m but no team has put anything close to that on the table. Nottingham Forest did make a bid of around £15m back in January, but Liverpool rejected it.

Tyler Morton is another who could leave. Liverpool want £20m for him and RB Leipzig are interested in signing the midfielder after an impressive year on loan with Hull City.

There’s still a very good chance that Morton earns a place in Arne Slot’s plans this preseason but Liverpool are open to selling him for a big offer.

Sepp van den Berg is a very interesting one. Again, Liverpool want £20m but the Dutchman has been very firm on his desire to leave. Van den Berg even publicly claimed the Reds are jeopardising his career with a high asking price - he’s eager to leave for below that figure.

Calafiori Juve deal in doubt

Il Bianco Nero reports that Bologna are currently dealing with the future of centre-back Riccardo Calafiori. It’s not a straightforward one, however.

Bologna want to keep him - Calafiori was one of the best defenders in Serie A last season, after all. His star turn with Italy at Euro 2024 has only strengthened their desire to hold onto the 22-year-old.

But Calafiori is generating a lot of interest from other clubs. It leaves Bologna knowing full well that he’ll be difficult to keep - even if they’re going to offer him a new contract.

And so they’re setting conditions. One of those is the new contract, another is that Calafiori will not join Juventus - the club to which he’s been linked with the most. Bologna will not sell to them and the defender cannot ask for the move.

In return, they’ll accept that offers from the Premier League will be too good to turn down. Something in the region of €50m (£42.5m) will almost certainly be accepted and certain English clubs are capable of putting it on the table.

Liverpool may well be one of them.