Liverpool transfer news: center-back signing, Mohamed Salah contract agreed and Spain ace joins

Latest Liverpool transfer news and intrigue as the ECHO analyses what Arne Slot’s priorities should be ahead of his first season as Reds manager.

Arne Slot has a busy few weeks ahead as he prepares Liverpool for the start of the new season. The 45-year-old has already been tasked with succeeding Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield dugout and will want to get off to the best possible start when the Premier League returns next month.

Off the pitch, Liverpool are expected to have a busy summer transfer season with new additions. There have been no new additions to Slot’s roster, but there is still time for things to change before the September 2 deadline.

Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, and Adrian are among those that left Liverpool this summer. Some players will also return from their loan periods, determined to finalise their future plans before the window shuts.

And here, the ECHO looks at the most significant jobs to be completed at Liverpool this summer ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Dani Olmo signing 

If you hadn’t heard of Dani Olmo before this summer’s European Championship, you have now. The 26-year-old is attracting interest from some of Europe’s best, including Liverpool, which is not surprising.

Olmo won the Golden Boot and a Euro 2024 winners’ medal for his performances in Germany, where he scored three goals. RB Leipzig is not unused to the danger of losing some of their stars, and Liverpool will be no stranger to snatching them away after signing Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate, and Dominik Szoboszlai from the Red Bull Arena.

Manchester City is apparently bidding for Olmo, who has a £50 million release clause that is set to expire on July 20. If Liverpool’s new look wants to send a message to the rest of the league, signing the attacker from City would go a long way towards that goal.

The Spaniard is nearing the pinnacle of his career, and what better time to sign a player fresh off a remarkable tournament? Olmo fits the previously established Liverpool profile as a flexible attacker who can play on the left, right, or in the middle as an attacking midfielder.

New center-back added

Liverpool lost a trusted component of their backline this summer as Matip’s contract at Anfield expired. The Cameroon centre-back missed the second part of the season due to a knee injury.

Issues with Konate also left then-manager Klopp with a hole in his defence. Jarell Quansah, a youngster, stepped up to play with Virgil van Dijk.

However, Liverpool still needs to strengthen at the back, and given the evolution of the frontline in recent years and the midfield last summer, the Reds must do the same to preserve Alisson Becker’s goal.

Looking poised to miss out on Leny Yoro, Liverpool should look for a tried-and-true Premier League defender, with Marc Guehi and Levi Colwill being mentioned in recent months.

Guehi, who also competed in the European Championship, still has his finest years ahead of him. Signing the Englishman would not be a downgrade from Slot’s present alternatives, as the Reds would gain a central defender who was under intense pressure at Crystal Palace, even being appointed captain by Patrick Viera.

Guehi, in the Liverpool pattern, is not just youthful and upcoming, but also experienced in the English top division, having made 98 appearances and over 150 senior appearances.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract at Selhurst Park, but integrating him into the defensive lines with Van Dijk, Konate, Quansah, and Joe Gomez would be a welcome addition to Anfield.

Anthony Gordon’s decision

Luis Diaz’s future has been called into question in recent months, with reports from Spain indicating Barcelona’s interest. Diaz is one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attackers and has proven to be an important signing for FC Porto.

While the Colombian’s output is not always impressive, he is a valuable component to the Reds’ assault. The news of talks with Anthony Gordon will likely have surprised some Liverpool fans. Gordon is well-known to the Reds, having broken through across Stanley Park at Everton before his high-profile transfer to Newcastle United.

Gordon would be an excellent acquisition to any Premier League club, including Liverpool. The Reds are well-stocked on the left side of the front three, and Cody Gakpo’s rise on the left has added to Slot’s problems this season, which Klopp did not anticipate.

There are some dominoes to fall before Liverpool can sign Gordon, as players will need to leave to make room on the left. If the Reds received an offer for Diaz in excess of £60 million, they would accept it and use the funds to make the move for Gordon, with rumours claiming Newcastle wants £100 million for his talents.

All of this will be determined by Barcelona’s decision to pursue Nico Williams. The Athletic Bilbao player was a shining light for Spain in their Euro 2024 victory, and all signs lead to Hansi Flick’s team signing one of Europe’s most exciting possibilities.

although, unless an appropriate bid comes in for Diaz, he will stay put, and Gordon will remain in the North East, although the potential move would have surely planted a seed for the future.

Contracts completed 

Uncertainty is unnecessary in any regime. Klopp rapidly addressed this during his tenure at Anfield, and Slot will have to do the same.

There is no worse way to start life at a new club than to allow criticism and speculation to run rampant across the group. The Liverpool ship had traditionally been a tight operation with little to no leaks. The Reds simply need to turn to Manchester United in the North West or Arsenal in London to see how not to carry out contingency preparations after a successful tenure of a former manager.

That being said, Trent-Alexander Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Van Dijk are in their final year of contracts at Anfield – three crucial players over the last five years and three valuable parts of the squad. They must sign Alexander-Arnold to a five-year contract. The Liverpool native is already a legend, but he has the opportunity to cement his place in Anfield tradition by wearing the captain’s armband permanently.

And, to demonstrate faith and respect for both Van Dijk and Salah, two-year extensions should be granted to avoid another problem in 12 months.