Liverpool’s available credit in the transfer market is quickly diminishing after failed attempts to land Leny Yoro, Anthony Gordon and, now, Martin Zubimendi.
To give credit where credit is due to new sporting director Richard Hughes, he could hardly be blamed for the latter’s u-turn after having initially given his word to the club.
However, with both prior aforementioned targets, the club has taken a hard line over transfer fees that could very well leave us short-handed ahead of the new campaign.
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The Merseysiders haven’t been inactive since that point; Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili looks increasingly set to make a permanent move to Anfield. Albeit, via a potential loan spell to fellow Premier League outfit Bournemouth.
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What do Liverpool need to do in August?
For starters, getting a deal over the line is an absolute imperative for Hughes and Co. Another change of mind, this time from the La Liga goalkeeper, would not be received well.
Given our obvious needs in the market, however, the signing of the Georgian international alone would rightly not be deemed an acceptable window.
Whilst there have been indications that Liverpool won’t be pursuing an alternative to Zubimendi, there’s no reason to suspect a suitable alternative to Yoro isn’t available in the market.
With that in mind, one name we could look to return to may very well be Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio.
Portuguese outlet A Bola, for instance, report that the defender’s agent, Miguel Pinho, is now in England (following a contract extension with Manchester United). Now it’s expected he’ll hold talks with Liverpool to discuss his Primeira Liga client’s future.
This will come at a relatively high cost – his release clause, which is set at £51m. Though, in fairness, we’d surely feel more inclined to fork this out for a 22-year-old footballer with 173 senior appearances under his belt.
We won’t be able to get any such new body in through the door in time for Ipswich. Nonetheless, with the clock quickly ticking down, we’d be hugely disappointed if talks didn’t get underway for Inacio, or any other suitable centre-back, in the coming days.
EOTK Close-up with John Welsh: ‘a local lad who lived his dream’ and Slot’s LFC predictions
Lokk you can crack on about every bloody position in the LFC team – but please/please do not tell me we do not need a top notch No. 6/BECAUSE WE DO!!! So all the rest is ANATHEMA…sick of readiing “Liverpool were biding their time throughout June and July as Slot familiarised himself with his new outfit and determined the key point of concern.”…this is just more “BALONEY”…because LFC have been trying to buy a top notch NO. 6 for SEASONS – not just now – so why did we need Slot to tell us we needed one – WE ALREADY KNEW – “Hughes” was engaged to get the personnel we NEED – WE NEED A TOP NOTCH NO. 6 if he does not get one in this window he will have failed before he started/and LFC will not compete ant the very top end of this seasons Premier League – it is as simple as that – so supposedly YNWA!
Buying players is not like buying bread in a supermarket
Liverpool may not need a 6. We did before because that is the way Klopp set the team and the way we played.
Slot plays with a double pivot instead of of one CDM.
Zubimendi is not a 6 and the way he replaced Rodri for Spain in the final was heralded by all sports journalists across Europe. It was an opportunistic bid that we launched. Not a bid for a number 6.
I am pretty sure the club knows more about what it needs than some layman down the pub, or FiFA player or FPL expert. Let’s just enjoy the ride!
Time and time again Liverpool do this shambolic behaviour when transfer windows open.They dither and lose out to more ambitious clubs who want to see their club reach new heights.Why do they seem to torture their loyal supporters every season.One reason money,Fair play to the owners if you can bring in world class players for a premium then all is good.But as every one knows it rarely happens.So if Liverpool want to compete with the best you have to spend big.After all we are classed as a big club.The fan base around the world is bigger than any other club in world football.So I am politely saying to the clubs is that they need to be more professional when they go into the transfer market in future.YNWA
Well said, man! Very strange for a Liverpool fan to see the truth as all loyals prefers to close their eyes, constantly blsht themselves and unconditionally support the team no mather what. I think there is just one answer for what happens now: the club is for sale since few years ago so FSG is not interested anymore in pumping money to the team and often prefer cheap solutions ( Endo, Gravenbergh, Slot ). Any rumours about big names are fake and mostly designed to keep the fans mouth shut
Over half of the players we “lose out” to end up being overpriced duds. Thank god our owners aren’t like Chelsea’s and buy up every player whispered to have a chance at fitting a missing piece in the club.
I thoroughly agree with John’s comment above about LFC buying a number 6 before the closure of the transfer window. Zubamendi must be a total wus to give up the chance to join our great club in preference continuing to enjoy the food, climate and walks in his home town!! Okay, the weather in England doesn’t compare to that in Spain but we do have food and the Lake District for walks.
Well, Richard and his team need to do something by the end of the month because we have nobody totally suited to playing the number 6 role which is so important…we have never replaced Fabinho.
Look we all new that it would take time for the new manager to run the rule over the squad and the Euros didn’t help. I think we are panicking about a No6, I thought Gravs did well enough against the tractor boys to warrant a run in that position, especially as with what StEtienneAmen said we play with a double pivot – For me I would focus on a Centre Back (Swap Gomez and 20 mil for Guehi) and cover for Left Back. I don’t want us to go out and buy buy buy like Chelsea BUT I am concerned as to how much are the owners willing to back the new manager????. The transfer dream team are back assisted by Hughes and to be honest I am not impressed so far, although they are doing a bloody good job of selling our young assets. I suppose we have to trust the process and time will tell YNWA