As the transfer window opened up this past week, rumors will begin to fly in even faster than normal. Often times they spread so quickly that one doesn't even get the chance to fully take in who, exactly, this rumor is about. Liverpool have already had their names linked to some players with concrete sources (Nabil Fekir) and some players who, well, probably won't be in red next year (Gigi Buffon). We're going to look at a variety of players including everyone who has had a reputable link to Liverpool. Let's dive right in.
The Hottest Rumor Around:
Nabil Fekir's speculation has set Liverpool alight, with rumors already that a deal of over 60 million pounds has been reached by Liverpool and Lyon. Who exactly is Fekir though? Fekir is the 24-year-old captain for Lyon, and has been linked to speculation over to the Premier League for a few years straight, usually with Arsenal (where his teammate Alexander Lacazette ended up). Fekir scored 18 goals in Ligue 1 last season and 23 in all competitions to go along with 8 assists. WhoScored gave him an average ranking of 7.84 last season, which is very impressive to say the least. He's truly the heart of soul of the Lyon team as he grew from a boyhood fan to the captain, and as a result there has been question raised if he would actually leave from Lyon when he has them a final good result against OGC Nice today from returning to Champions League. Still, the Frenchman has remained non-committal to his future and the wheels do seem to be in motion for his joining Liverpool.
What type of player exactly is he? Fekir is an attacking midfielder and has played that consistently during his time at Lyon, generally behind two strikers (Memphis Depay and Bertrand Traore in Ligue 1) or one (Mariano in Europa League) but the general thought is that he would take up a deeper role in the pitch as we saw Coutinho do during his time still with the club. Fekir, despite being just 5'8, has both the strength and agility to make this work, the bigger question is would he be willing to put in a defensive shift in order to actually have it work. Questions are raised about his defensive ability, and these are doubled when the thought of him playing center-mid are raised. Still, however, a player of his caliber and versatility cannot be underrated. He has speed to fill in on the wing and could even played up top if necessary. I believe that there is a reason Fekir is the strongest linked player to Liverpool: it makes sense and he seems to be the sort of player that would fit very well into this squad.
Championship Youth:
Liverpool have had a knack for taking from recently relegated sides with Gini Wijnaldum and Andy Robertson being the two most recent. These links have been a little bit different. All three players up for Championship Young Player of the Year have been linked to Liverpool in one form or another: Ruben Neves of newly promoted Wolverhampton, Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham who are in the playoff final, and James Maddison of Norwich. I'll start with Sessegnon, who just only turned 18 yesterday. He was already linked to Liverpool last summer, but turned them down seemingly to join Spurs. That transfer never happened and instead Sessegnon stayed with Fulham where he's helped them along to be just one game away from returning to the Premier League. Seen first as a left-back, he has grown more and more into a left-winger who has the goal tally (18 on the season) to match. One of the best parts about having Sessegnon at left-wing is that you will be getting someone who, while not the best defensive left-back, was still solid at the position. Defending on the wing and tracking back would not seem to be a huge worry for him. It's hard not to be impressed with him, but I do not know if he'd get regular game time here and I think a move to Liverpool could stunt his growth. If Fulham go up, I see him staying with the London side at least one more season.
Ruben Neves was an absolute coup of a signing for Wolves and fellow Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo. A 21-year-old with Champions League experience coming to play down with a Championship side. After the season he had, like I said for Fekir, it's hard not to love his type of play. The six goals he scored this season all were jaw-dropping, in that sense alone it's hard not to see a bit of Steven Gerrard in the midfielder. He has a nice passing range but also is accurate when playing it short which is of massive importance with the build-up of play that Liverpool like. Generally a defensive midfielder, I think he could work in Henderson's spot or even alongside the Liverpool captain if you have Naby Keita or Nabil Fekir in a midfield three along with those two. His ability to intercept passes lends credence to how solid he is defensively as well and ties right into the Liverpool method of winning the ball back as quickly as you can. Watching Neves, you see a player far more mature than his age implies and a player like that is always valuable to have.
James Maddison of Norwich has been a very bright spot for the Carnies in an otherwise middling season. With 14 goals, eight assists, and a couple of spectacular efforts resulting in those goals, Maddison carved out a nice spot for himself in Norwich. Like Fekir, he's able to play center-mid, though his favored position is attacking-mid. He has also played right-wing, especially when alongside club legend Wes Hoolahan, and again, he is an example of Liverpool looking at a player with versatility. His passing range is outstanding, his success rate was 86.2% last season, and because of his low center of gravity, he very rarely loses the ball when he has it at his feet. He has a lovely technical ability and is a fun player to watch when on the ball especially as the maestro of the Norwich attack. That being said, I do not believe that Liverpool will be in on both him and Fekir unless Maddison is happy to be a depth signing. The young Englishman looks to me to be a sort of 'plan B' if the Fekir deal cannot be done. I also think he means too much for Norwich to let him go for what the club would consider a "reasonable" fee.
Barcelona: This Time We Buy:
One of the other more recent, hotter links has been to Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. Signed last season for a huge amount of money (reported to be over 105 million euros plus add-ons) it seems unrealistic for the Catalan side to be immediately selling him. The thought is that he would be added on loan for at least the first season, then potentially have the option to buy. The winger is one of the finest young players in the world, as emphasized by his price tag. He dealt with a long-term hamstring issue last season which also severely limited his playing time. The right-winger would almost assuredly play at the right-wing position, but my question is why the interest in such an expensive player when Mo Salah is already penned into that position? If Liverpool does indeed wish to sign him, even with a Coutinho discount, he will absolutely not be cheap. Of course he is still just 21 years of age and already a brilliant dribbler and creator, equally adept with his left foot and right foot. Surely if Barcelona do wish to loan him out they will want him to see regular game time. For that, I don't see this deal happening.
Net Minders:
Back-up goalie, or starting depending on who you ask, is a huge area of necessity of Liverpool. With Simon Mignolet set to leave, Loris Karius still being asked questions of, and Danny Ward seemingly not at that next level yet, another goalie seems to be in the mind of fans. Alisson seemed to be nearly a sure thing just a month of two ago. Now? Not so much. Jan Oblak always seemed pretty unrealistic. As did Iker Casillas, who will return to Porto. As does Gigi Buffon now. So who's left? Jack Butland is the player with the most links. The Stoke City keeper comes from a newly relegated side, which could surely be a reason that Liverpool are linked to him. Klopp even made a joke earlier this season shutting these rumors down. Alas, they are back. The English keeper is not following Stoke to the Championship, that seems nearly sure. The question though is to where will he go? I do not believe it will be Liverpool, but I'm not going to be stunned. The best English keeper, though, surely has to start for his team. I think the links to Wolves and Arsenal (however tenuous those both are) make more sense as opposed to seeing Karius immediately displaced. Going into next season with Karius starting and Ward as the number two would not seem to be catastrophic to me, in fact, I would likely welcome it.
Link Lost:
Just about two months ago, it seemed that the ideal window would be achieved if just Alisson and Jorginho would be signed. Now, it seems like neither will. What happened to Jorginho? It's not a matter of fit, or lack of interest, it just seems that (as his agent has also implied) his dream destination is to link up with Pep Guardiola at Man City. Jorginho would be an outstanding signing for any team, especially the one with the style of Klopp's Liverpool. In his defensive midfield role, his quick short passes move the ball efficiently and into the right spots to get into an attacking mode. His passing range is brilliant, as you would expect as the main man in Napoli's midfield, a team so richly focused on passing, and he is a huge reason as to why they challenged Juventus for Serie A glory this season. The Brazilian-born Italian national fits perfectly into the Henderson spot in the team, and I truthfully think those two would have a genuine battle in pre-season camp over the starting spot. I think many may see Jorginho as "the one that got away" but I think the club will still be looking into a way to fill the gap in the midfield left by Emre Can and exposed by the injury problems as of late.
Best of the Rest:
There's just so many links, many with unreliable sources, that it's hard to narrow down which ones are worth discussing. Here, though, are some of the other players I find interesting in terms of link to the club and worth a mention:
Max Meyer: I HIGHLY doubt these links to be true, but it's worth mentioning that someone is going to get Schalke's 22-year-old midfielder on a free this summer. As he's developed, he's moved from a more attacking role to a central and defensive midfield spot. He does a lot of what Klopp prioritizes well like ball movement and possession retention and his quality is serious. Still, he will have many suitors and Liverpool is not likely one.
Wilfried Zaha: The Palace winger will be far too expensive, but it's clear he has top six club quality. He is a man who has been linked more and more to Liverpool lately. Palace will want a premium for undoubtedly their best player, however, and I don't see Liverpool willing to shell out the sort of money they want for him. Of note: he's played a good deal more as a striker than a winger this season. This interests me greatly as he would offer rotation in not just the squad but the formation.
Thomas Lemar: A link that was strong over the summer has grown very cold over the amount of money Monaco wanted for him. Combined with a loss of form over the season, and Liverpool have seemingly lost serious interest in him The fire is cold for this rumor, but if Monaco drop the price after the poor year could Liverpool get interested again? Perhaps.
Jamaal Lascelles: Newcastle's captain, Lascelles is perhaps the most underrated center-back in the Premier League. With a duo of he and Virgil van Dijk, gone would be the days of getting bullied by the likes of Salomon Rondon and Oliver Giroud. A natural leader and a man who's learned under Rafa, I don't believe Liverpool are in on him but if the price is right I personally think he would be a strong add either as a starter or in terms of depth.
Diogo Leite: A 19-year-old center-back from Porto, it has been reported by some fairly reputable sources that Liverpool lead the pack for the youngster who has a roughly 15 million pound release clause. Interest of other top English clubs is strong for him as well and the man played for Porto's B side seems to be a signing looking towards the future for whoever may end up with him.
These are just some of the players whose links I find both interesting and (unless noted) somewhat tangible. It is still so early in the transfer window, and Liverpool still have a massive game to play, that links will still be somewhat weak and movement slow. The amount of quality Liverpool have been linked to is always a good sign. Expect much more transfer news and recapping of players once we well and truly get to the off-season. But in just one week's time there's still a trophy to be played for.
Follow me on Twitter @RMABTweets and interact with me about this article, or any others! Who would you like to see Liverpool sign this summer? Let me know.
The Hottest Rumor Around:
Nabil Fekir's speculation has set Liverpool alight, with rumors already that a deal of over 60 million pounds has been reached by Liverpool and Lyon. Who exactly is Fekir though? Fekir is the 24-year-old captain for Lyon, and has been linked to speculation over to the Premier League for a few years straight, usually with Arsenal (where his teammate Alexander Lacazette ended up). Fekir scored 18 goals in Ligue 1 last season and 23 in all competitions to go along with 8 assists. WhoScored gave him an average ranking of 7.84 last season, which is very impressive to say the least. He's truly the heart of soul of the Lyon team as he grew from a boyhood fan to the captain, and as a result there has been question raised if he would actually leave from Lyon when he has them a final good result against OGC Nice today from returning to Champions League. Still, the Frenchman has remained non-committal to his future and the wheels do seem to be in motion for his joining Liverpool.
What type of player exactly is he? Fekir is an attacking midfielder and has played that consistently during his time at Lyon, generally behind two strikers (Memphis Depay and Bertrand Traore in Ligue 1) or one (Mariano in Europa League) but the general thought is that he would take up a deeper role in the pitch as we saw Coutinho do during his time still with the club. Fekir, despite being just 5'8, has both the strength and agility to make this work, the bigger question is would he be willing to put in a defensive shift in order to actually have it work. Questions are raised about his defensive ability, and these are doubled when the thought of him playing center-mid are raised. Still, however, a player of his caliber and versatility cannot be underrated. He has speed to fill in on the wing and could even played up top if necessary. I believe that there is a reason Fekir is the strongest linked player to Liverpool: it makes sense and he seems to be the sort of player that would fit very well into this squad.
Championship Youth:
Liverpool have had a knack for taking from recently relegated sides with Gini Wijnaldum and Andy Robertson being the two most recent. These links have been a little bit different. All three players up for Championship Young Player of the Year have been linked to Liverpool in one form or another: Ruben Neves of newly promoted Wolverhampton, Ryan Sessegnon of Fulham who are in the playoff final, and James Maddison of Norwich. I'll start with Sessegnon, who just only turned 18 yesterday. He was already linked to Liverpool last summer, but turned them down seemingly to join Spurs. That transfer never happened and instead Sessegnon stayed with Fulham where he's helped them along to be just one game away from returning to the Premier League. Seen first as a left-back, he has grown more and more into a left-winger who has the goal tally (18 on the season) to match. One of the best parts about having Sessegnon at left-wing is that you will be getting someone who, while not the best defensive left-back, was still solid at the position. Defending on the wing and tracking back would not seem to be a huge worry for him. It's hard not to be impressed with him, but I do not know if he'd get regular game time here and I think a move to Liverpool could stunt his growth. If Fulham go up, I see him staying with the London side at least one more season.
Ruben Neves was an absolute coup of a signing for Wolves and fellow Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo. A 21-year-old with Champions League experience coming to play down with a Championship side. After the season he had, like I said for Fekir, it's hard not to love his type of play. The six goals he scored this season all were jaw-dropping, in that sense alone it's hard not to see a bit of Steven Gerrard in the midfielder. He has a nice passing range but also is accurate when playing it short which is of massive importance with the build-up of play that Liverpool like. Generally a defensive midfielder, I think he could work in Henderson's spot or even alongside the Liverpool captain if you have Naby Keita or Nabil Fekir in a midfield three along with those two. His ability to intercept passes lends credence to how solid he is defensively as well and ties right into the Liverpool method of winning the ball back as quickly as you can. Watching Neves, you see a player far more mature than his age implies and a player like that is always valuable to have.
James Maddison of Norwich has been a very bright spot for the Carnies in an otherwise middling season. With 14 goals, eight assists, and a couple of spectacular efforts resulting in those goals, Maddison carved out a nice spot for himself in Norwich. Like Fekir, he's able to play center-mid, though his favored position is attacking-mid. He has also played right-wing, especially when alongside club legend Wes Hoolahan, and again, he is an example of Liverpool looking at a player with versatility. His passing range is outstanding, his success rate was 86.2% last season, and because of his low center of gravity, he very rarely loses the ball when he has it at his feet. He has a lovely technical ability and is a fun player to watch when on the ball especially as the maestro of the Norwich attack. That being said, I do not believe that Liverpool will be in on both him and Fekir unless Maddison is happy to be a depth signing. The young Englishman looks to me to be a sort of 'plan B' if the Fekir deal cannot be done. I also think he means too much for Norwich to let him go for what the club would consider a "reasonable" fee.
Barcelona: This Time We Buy:
One of the other more recent, hotter links has been to Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. Signed last season for a huge amount of money (reported to be over 105 million euros plus add-ons) it seems unrealistic for the Catalan side to be immediately selling him. The thought is that he would be added on loan for at least the first season, then potentially have the option to buy. The winger is one of the finest young players in the world, as emphasized by his price tag. He dealt with a long-term hamstring issue last season which also severely limited his playing time. The right-winger would almost assuredly play at the right-wing position, but my question is why the interest in such an expensive player when Mo Salah is already penned into that position? If Liverpool does indeed wish to sign him, even with a Coutinho discount, he will absolutely not be cheap. Of course he is still just 21 years of age and already a brilliant dribbler and creator, equally adept with his left foot and right foot. Surely if Barcelona do wish to loan him out they will want him to see regular game time. For that, I don't see this deal happening.
Net Minders:
Back-up goalie, or starting depending on who you ask, is a huge area of necessity of Liverpool. With Simon Mignolet set to leave, Loris Karius still being asked questions of, and Danny Ward seemingly not at that next level yet, another goalie seems to be in the mind of fans. Alisson seemed to be nearly a sure thing just a month of two ago. Now? Not so much. Jan Oblak always seemed pretty unrealistic. As did Iker Casillas, who will return to Porto. As does Gigi Buffon now. So who's left? Jack Butland is the player with the most links. The Stoke City keeper comes from a newly relegated side, which could surely be a reason that Liverpool are linked to him. Klopp even made a joke earlier this season shutting these rumors down. Alas, they are back. The English keeper is not following Stoke to the Championship, that seems nearly sure. The question though is to where will he go? I do not believe it will be Liverpool, but I'm not going to be stunned. The best English keeper, though, surely has to start for his team. I think the links to Wolves and Arsenal (however tenuous those both are) make more sense as opposed to seeing Karius immediately displaced. Going into next season with Karius starting and Ward as the number two would not seem to be catastrophic to me, in fact, I would likely welcome it.
Link Lost:
Just about two months ago, it seemed that the ideal window would be achieved if just Alisson and Jorginho would be signed. Now, it seems like neither will. What happened to Jorginho? It's not a matter of fit, or lack of interest, it just seems that (as his agent has also implied) his dream destination is to link up with Pep Guardiola at Man City. Jorginho would be an outstanding signing for any team, especially the one with the style of Klopp's Liverpool. In his defensive midfield role, his quick short passes move the ball efficiently and into the right spots to get into an attacking mode. His passing range is brilliant, as you would expect as the main man in Napoli's midfield, a team so richly focused on passing, and he is a huge reason as to why they challenged Juventus for Serie A glory this season. The Brazilian-born Italian national fits perfectly into the Henderson spot in the team, and I truthfully think those two would have a genuine battle in pre-season camp over the starting spot. I think many may see Jorginho as "the one that got away" but I think the club will still be looking into a way to fill the gap in the midfield left by Emre Can and exposed by the injury problems as of late.
Best of the Rest:
There's just so many links, many with unreliable sources, that it's hard to narrow down which ones are worth discussing. Here, though, are some of the other players I find interesting in terms of link to the club and worth a mention:
Max Meyer: I HIGHLY doubt these links to be true, but it's worth mentioning that someone is going to get Schalke's 22-year-old midfielder on a free this summer. As he's developed, he's moved from a more attacking role to a central and defensive midfield spot. He does a lot of what Klopp prioritizes well like ball movement and possession retention and his quality is serious. Still, he will have many suitors and Liverpool is not likely one.
Wilfried Zaha: The Palace winger will be far too expensive, but it's clear he has top six club quality. He is a man who has been linked more and more to Liverpool lately. Palace will want a premium for undoubtedly their best player, however, and I don't see Liverpool willing to shell out the sort of money they want for him. Of note: he's played a good deal more as a striker than a winger this season. This interests me greatly as he would offer rotation in not just the squad but the formation.
Thomas Lemar: A link that was strong over the summer has grown very cold over the amount of money Monaco wanted for him. Combined with a loss of form over the season, and Liverpool have seemingly lost serious interest in him The fire is cold for this rumor, but if Monaco drop the price after the poor year could Liverpool get interested again? Perhaps.
Jamaal Lascelles: Newcastle's captain, Lascelles is perhaps the most underrated center-back in the Premier League. With a duo of he and Virgil van Dijk, gone would be the days of getting bullied by the likes of Salomon Rondon and Oliver Giroud. A natural leader and a man who's learned under Rafa, I don't believe Liverpool are in on him but if the price is right I personally think he would be a strong add either as a starter or in terms of depth.
Diogo Leite: A 19-year-old center-back from Porto, it has been reported by some fairly reputable sources that Liverpool lead the pack for the youngster who has a roughly 15 million pound release clause. Interest of other top English clubs is strong for him as well and the man played for Porto's B side seems to be a signing looking towards the future for whoever may end up with him.
These are just some of the players whose links I find both interesting and (unless noted) somewhat tangible. It is still so early in the transfer window, and Liverpool still have a massive game to play, that links will still be somewhat weak and movement slow. The amount of quality Liverpool have been linked to is always a good sign. Expect much more transfer news and recapping of players once we well and truly get to the off-season. But in just one week's time there's still a trophy to be played for.
Follow me on Twitter @RMABTweets and interact with me about this article, or any others! Who would you like to see Liverpool sign this summer? Let me know.
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