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Football FanCast updates you with all the latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip, ahead of Jürgen Klopp’s eighth full season in charge at Anfield.
Klopp will be eager to improve on their disappointing fifth-placed finish last campaign, which saw the Merseyside club fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2015/16 season.
Friday 28th July
Fabinho out of tour squad
BBC Sport: Brazilian midfielder Fabinho has been left out of Liverpool’s squad for their Singapore tour. The 29-year-old is now expected to depart for Al-Ittihad in the coming days for around £40m.
This one has become something of a saga. Initially, things looked quite straightforward – Al-Ittihad wanted to sign Fabinho, he wanted the move and Liverpool were okay with the price. All good.
But a delay over payment details nearly collapsed the move and talks ceased. Now they’ve resumed and everything looks to be fine, paving the way for Fabinho to depart after five years at Anfield.
Lavia talks today
Fabrizio Romano: Liverpool and Southampton have held further talks over a move for Roméo Lavia. The Reds actually saw a bid rejected earlier in the week, purely for falling short of the Saints’ asking price.
That price is around £50m, says Romano, and their latest offer also falls short. Liverpool hope to sign Lavia for £42.5m with another £2.5m in add-ons. Essentially, they want to convince Southampton that this offer is as good as it gets.
Their hopes may well ride on the commitment to a guaranteed £42.5m. Other clubs may be hesitant to offer that, instead putting more of the fee in potential add-ons.
After all, Lavia is still a young player and far from a guaranteed star – so Liverpool are taking a bit of a risk here.
But they clearly rate him very highly and Lavia is the obvious Fabinho replacement. Now we just wait and see what Southampton think.
Reds complete Owen deal
Daily Mail: Liverpool have paid over the odds to sign Harvey Owen from Wolves. The defender – still only 14 – has cost the club £800k, which is more than they’d have been expected to pay in a tribunal.
However, such was the competition for Owen that Liverpool were happy to pay more just to get things done quickly. They believe he’s a fantastic prospect and have ‘huge belief’ in his potential.
This is a name to keep an eye on, then.
Thursday 27th July
Henderson says goodbye as Reds confirm exit
Instagram: Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was the first to confirm his transfer to Al-Ettifaq on Wednesday evening. He uploaded a goodbye video to Instagram that celebrated his 12 years at Anfield.
This one hasn’t been a great secret, of course. News broke this month that Henderson was subject to a massive offer from Al-Ettifaq and that he’d want to take it. Liverpool then accepted a deal worth around £12m.
And if anyone was in any doubt, footage emerged on Wednesday of Henderson in Croatia ahead of his move. It’s still a shock – and a controversial one – but the midfielder is moving to Saudi Arabia.
Liverpool later confirmed the exit of their former captain, who had lifted the Champions League and Premier League during his time at Anfield.
Wednesday 26th July
Liverpool target Kalvin Phillips
The Athletic: Lavia is only one of a few players on Liverpool’s list, it seems. The Athletic lays it out, with the most notable being Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
Phillips didn’t play all that often last season, having moved to City from Leeds United a year ago. There is a sense that he might be available, then – but would the champions really sell to Liverpool?
That feels fairly unlikely to say the least, and we imagine Phillips sits at the bottom of the shortlist as a ‘maybe’ option. It’s a list that also includes Crystal Palace’s Cheikh Doucouré, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat. The Reds aren’t exactly short of options, here.
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