Liverpool transfer news as rivals ‘ready to beat $28m asking price’ amid Rafael Benítez ‘talks’

Liverpool transfer news: Senior club officials have been in talks with Rafael Benítez over a deal while a rival could beat the asking price to sign a ‘target’ from the Reds.

Liverpool reunited with a number of figures from their past this week. While touring Singapore, the team was joined by former players such as Lucas Leiva and Martin Škrtel.

In a sign of the scale of Liverpool’s rebuild, Lucas has encountered very few familiar faces, with the man who played nearly two full seasons under Jurgen Klopp only coming up against three of his former teammates. For Škrtel, who was eliminated the previous summer, that number was even lower. Both players were initially brought to Liverpool by Rafael Benítez. And there seems to have been a little more interaction with the club’s past lately: the former Reds manager will certainly not be successful in Singapore, having taken a job in La Liga, but there are still contacts between the Spaniard and the managers of Anfield for a possible transfer.

Continuing the Lucas theme, Liverpool are also reportedly targeting a direct transfer from South America. The Brazilian’s arrival direct from Grêmio has been something of a rarity, and FSG’s tenure in particular has certainly favored players able to prove themselves earlier in Europe, but it could seem like a break from that pattern, provided they don’t be overcome.

Andre (Fluminense)

Klopp admitted this week that Liverpool will surely need to dive into the transfer market again to strengthen their midfield despite him already signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. But perhaps they will try to make other additions on a slightly larger budget, a quest that could take the club to South America.

According to Football Transfers, André von Fluminense in particular is an interesting player. However, Liverpool face competition from a number of other teams, including Sporting Lisbon and Wolves. The most pressing challenge could come from Fulham, who are ready to pay ‘above all expectations’ for the 22-year-old midfielder. The Brazilian club’s reserve price is $28m (£21m/€25m). Liverpool.com says: Liverpool have Mac Allister and Szoboszlai as strong contenders for eighth place, while Curtis Jones should not be forgotten either. Harvey Elliott is also more than capable, as is Thiago – while the loss of Jordan Henderson will force Klopp back into the market, he doesn’t have to be a very established name.

Andre may be more targeted as a number six, with the proven quality signing being slightly more important at the moment following the loss of Fabinho. But if he came alongside another player, perhaps a Premier League name like Romeo Lavia, then perhaps Liverpool could justify the risk while keeping recruitment costs to an acceptable level in such a summer. charge.

However, if Fulham are pushing the price up, you can’t count on Liverpool to stay in the game. There’s a reason why FSG usually waits for South American talent and only a real bargain could tempt them.

Gabrielle Veiga (Celta Vigo)

Gabri Veiga was a constant presence in the rumor mill earlier this summer and hasn’t had strong links with Liverpool of late. But a new report could change that.

Speaking on Twitter Spaces about The Boot Room, journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that as well as exploring Veiga, Liverpool have also had talks with Benítez. In fact, an interesting proposal to overcome a major obstacle was discussed. Veiga is said to be pushing for direct playing time, so “a senior” from Liverpool spoke to Benitez about the possibility of a loan move to Celta Vigo. However, as things stand, the club are yet to make a move for the player, who has a $44m (£34m/€40m) release clause.

Liverpool.com says: Liverpool really need more depth in midfield right now, so a loan deal seems a bit counterintuitive. However, a deal like this could see the club leaning on its good relationship with Benitez – which seemed more or less irrelevant given the presence of the release clause, but a more creative deal could lead to a different deal.

It all depends on how much Liverpool value Veiga. If he thinks he would regret a rival creeping in now, perhaps this will be pursued further, despite the very real need to continue strengthening here and now. But if the club has thus been sold, there is a feeling that he may have already made his move.