Liverpool have been given a transfer boost in their search for a midfielder this summer after missing out on Romeo Lavia and Moisés Caicedo at Chelsea.
Jurgen Klopp is looking for the latest addition to his Liverpool midfield with sixth being the final piece of the puzzle, having already secured world champion Alexis Mac Allister and former RB Leipzig player Dominik Szoboszlai.
The club were considering moves for Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia after submitting offers totaling more than $200m (£157m/€183m) in recent weeks. However, much to his dismay, both players have since opted for a move to Stamford Bridge, where new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is looking to rebuild his squad following his summer appointment.
Liverpool will now have to look elsewhere to fill the void left in their squad by veterans Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who have both opted to accept lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League in recent months. And according to The Independent, Jürgen Klopp’s search has led to Crystal Palace ace Cheick Doucouré. Liverpool have been linked to the player in the past but are now looking to ramp up their interest in the Mali international.
Klopp could benefit from a major boost. The BBC was among those to quote a price tag of $89m (£70m/€82m) earlier this summer, but the latest report suggests Liverpool could secure a deal for less than $76m ( £60m / €82m).
70 million euros).
This is a big price drop. The player is believed to be interested in a move to Anfield this summer. However, the report goes on to say that Crystal Palace are reluctant to part ways with their midfield having already lost several key players, with Wilfried Zaha moving to Galatasaray and Michael Olise potentially moving to Chelsea.
Fulham’s João Palhinha and Nice’s Khéphren Thuram offer other options for Klopp, but Doucouré looks the most likely outcome heading into the final weeks of the transfer window.
Liverpool.com says: Doucouré has adapted well to the Premier League since joining from RC Lens in 2022. Liverpool have been without Caicedo and Lavia of late and given a glaring gap in midfield this deal has plenty of sense.
At the price quoted, Doucouré might even prove to be a better option than Lavia, if not Caicedo. Finally, he has more experience at the top level, having spent some time in France ahead of his season in the English top flight. The transfer fee might end up looking like a bargain as Liverpool look to continue this season and compete with the Premier League’s top clubs.
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Normally, Liverpool’s transfer business is smooth, since Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia chose Chelsea over Liverpool, the pressure is REALLY on Liverpool to resolve the “mess” and provide Klopp with a midfielder.
The decision by Moises Caicedo to join Chelsea rather than Liverpool was a setback.
Romeo Lavia, another midfield target, seems to be on a similar path.
Success in the transfer market has been one of the defining characteristics of Liverpool under John W Henry.
Liverpool has experienced more wins than losses since then after learning from early errors like Mario Balotelli.
Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson were wise acquisitions that helped Jurgen Klopp assemble a squad capable of dominating every major competition.
However, after a disastrous week for Liverpool’s transfer managers, that carefully built reputation is in jeopardy of collapsing.
It would be extremely embarrassing if they lost out on their next target, Romeo Lavia, in the same way they lost Moises Caicedo to Chelsea.
Klopp is always eager to present a unified front at Anfield, but he is aware that whether or not his team mounts a title challenge this season may depend on whether or not they can find a top-tier holding midfielder to sign.
Normally sympathetic to Liverpool’s position, club legend Jamie Carragher hasn’t held back at seeing his team outperformed by Chelsea’s brash owner Todd Boehly.
He calls how things have been handled at Anfield “an absolute mess and a joke.”.
One might have hoped for a smoother transition after the midfielders Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and James Milner were all lost in a single strike.
Yes, the Argentine World Cup winner was forced into a defensive role in Chelsea’s opening match and wasn’t his usual self. However, Dominik Szoboszlai of Hungary also recently moved from Brighton and joined Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool are currently facing some challenges. People are aware of their desperation,’ Carragher continued.
The sequence of events is strange. Jude Bellingham was praised by Klopp in January, but Liverpool decided they couldn’t compete financially in the summer, and the player joined Real Madrid.
Despite this, they suddenly made a British record bid of £111 million for Caicedo at Brighton after pursuing Lavia from Southampton all summer without being able to match the £60 million asking price.
Caicedo had always intended to sign with Chelsea; the club’s director of international talent, Paul Winstanley, previously worked at Brighton and was instrumental in helping Caicedo land his first club in England.
It was a high-risk move that hasn’t yet paid off if Liverpool believed that their intervention would increase the Caicedo price and eliminate Chelsea’s interest in Lavia.
Although Liverpool finally agreed to Southampton’s terms regarding a transfer fee, word has it that Lavia would also prefer to join Chelsea, whose spending ambitions know no bounds.
The youngster might have been troubled by Liverpool suddenly turning their attention to Caicedo, though the London location angle could be one factor.
Whatever occurs after that, it’s not how Liverpool prefers to conduct business.
The Liverpool team’s employees will be highlighted in the background.
Michael Edwards, a renowned sporting director, left in 2022. Julian Ward, who took over for him later that year, made the announcement that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2022–23 campaign.
Billy Hogan, the Chief Executive of the club’s owners FSG, has been under a lot of pressure and responsibility as a result.
The early signings of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai in the window gave the impression that things would continue as before.
Then, Fabinho and Henderson left as a result of the Saudi intervention, leaving a huge gap at the midfield’s base. It hasn’t been filled yet, one week into the season.
Questions will be raised until it is, and it will be difficult to refute Carragher’s claim that the situation is a “mess.”.
