Arne Slot has DREAM first transfer in his grasp

Arne Slot is yet to stamp his authority on this Liverpool squad with additions of his own in the transfer market.

When he arrived at the club, FSG decided to be cautious in their recruitment ambitions and as such, only Federico Chiesa came through the door. Other players were linked with the Reds but a move never came to fruition and unless the player was the perfect fit for Liverpool, the club would not move forward.

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As such, even though Martin Zubimendi decided against joining the Reds in the summer, Liverpool did not go out and buy a different defensive midfielder to fill the void, because they were not entirely convinced by the other options.

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However, in this latest transfer link, Liverpool have identified a player who typifies the needs of the squad and who has the ideal profile for working alongside or replacing Virgil van Dijk.

Arne Slot has been desperate to work with him over the years and after countless failed attempts to recruit him, the Reds' head coach might finally get his way this summer.

Liverpool are 'very keen' on Mickey Van de Ven

According to an exclusive from Football Insider, Liverpool are eyeing up a move for Tottenham centre-back Micky Van de Ven this summer.

Slot's admiration for the player has been well-established and Van de Ven has an equal appreciation for the Dutch head coach.

In an interview a few weeks ago, the player admitted that he has a 'great feeling' about Slot's management style and added that he 'would not mind' partnering Van Dijk in defence at some point.

Furthermore, Van de Ven has previously visited Anfield as a fan with his dad, claiming the experience was 'madness', admitting that he got goosebumps when You'll Never Walk Alone came on at the stadium.

As such, if the player were to move to Liverpool, then it could potentially be a match made in heaven.

The 23-year-old is viewed as an "elite Champions League level" player by Liverpool according to the sources in the latest report. While Tottenham are wallowing away in the Europa League and sitting 14th in the Premier League this season, table-topping Liverpool progressed easily into the last-16 of Europe's premier competition, losing just one game.

The Reds desperately need a new centre-back in order to circumvent the disappointing efforts of Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah this season and it is entirely plausible that the former could depart the club this summer. In addition, Joel Matip retired at the end of last season and he was not replaced.

Meanwhile, the futures of Van Dijk and Konate are less than certain.

The captain's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, so he will need to re-sign with the club if he wants to stay on Merseyside for the remainder of his career and Konate is currently subject to extensive interest from Paris Saint-Germain, which is not likely to go away until he commits his future to Liverpool.

As such, if Van de Ven is growing frustrated with Tottenham's disappointing form, then a move to Liverpool could be on the cards where he would be competing for the Premier League title, playing regular Champions League football, working under Arne Slot and joining a strong Dutch contingent in the squad which includes Van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.

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In terms of ideal transfer moves that seem too good to be true, Liverpool fans will be certain to get excited if the club pulls this one off.

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Liverpool’s game against Wolves will kick-off at 14:00 GMT on Sunday 16th February.

The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event and Ultra HD.

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