Tag: Riccardo Calafiori

  • The four players on Liverpool’s transfer wishlist should chill Pep Guardiola to the bone

    The four players on Liverpool’s transfer wishlist should chill Pep Guardiola to the bone

    The four players on Liverpool's transfer wishlist should chill Pep Guardiola to the bone. Liverpool wants to add four more first team

    Liverpool wants to add four more first team players to Arne Slot’s roster this summer before the transfer market closes at the end of the month.

    Liverpool wants to add four players to its roster this summer in order to strengthen Arne Slot’s team for the forthcoming Premier League season.

    Although most of Liverpool’s opponents have made moves in the summer transfer window, Liverpool has not made a signing. Arsenal acquired Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori, while Manchester City signed Brazilian winger Savinho.

    Manchester United, who is also pursuing Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui of Bayern Munich, has signed Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. Liverpool hasn’t yet entered the market, but that could be about to happen.

    According to The Independent, Liverpool plans to add four players this summer. The centre back, the defensive midfielder, and possibly two wide strikers are what the Reds want to add. Those two positions, the first two, seem to make sense.

    Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Jarell Quansah are Liverpool’s four healthy centre backs, as Joel Matip left on a free transfer this summer following an ACL injury. While Konate has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, the latter of those four is still developing as a senior player.

    Because they don’t have a left-footed centre defender, Liverpool apparently had interest in Calafiori before he decided to sign with Arsenal. During their engine room makeover last summer, the Reds also made many attempts to sign a defensive midfielder, but they were unable to persuade Romeo Lavia or Moises Caicedo to pick Anfield over Chelsea. As a result, they signed Wataru Endo, who was considered a stopgap player.

    The Reds’ four-man shortlist is likely the most intriguing in terms of prospective additions, as they are well-stocked at wide forward, and it appears they may want to add two more this summer. The Reds could start Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, or Cody Gakpo on the left. Ben Doak, a young player, and Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliot are on the right.

    However, it makes sense to go for another wide forward if Slot believes that Elliot is better off in the midst of the pitch rather than out wide. This summer, Liverpool has been connected to several attackers; two players the Reds like are Anthony Gordon and Takefusa Kubo.

    According to Liverpool.com, it is not surprising that Liverpool is interested in a defender and a defensive midfielder. It was linked to many center-backs this time around, and last summer it sought to sign a top defensive midfield player.

    It does make sense to have a wide forward up front, even if they can also operate from the right. It will be intriguing to observe, though, if Liverpool attempts to sign a second centre striker this summer. Darwin Nunez is frequently too unpredictable, while Cody Gakpo’s performances at the European Championship demonstrate that he is most effective when operating off the left rather than through the middle.

  • The dream Liverpool team of Arne Slot with nine departures, Riccardo Calafiori and three new arrivals

    The dream Liverpool team of Arne Slot with nine departures, Riccardo Calafiori and three new arrivals

    Ederson

    As Liverpool’s players return back for pre-season training next week, Arne Slot will soon get to know his new teammates. He hopes to bring in some new players.

    In the next months, Arne Slot, the new head coach of Liverpool, will have a lot of decisions to make, including meeting his new team for the first time.

    Next Monday, the first group of players—mostly the club’s youth players and those not playing for their countries this summer—are scheduled to return to the AXA Training Centre. Stars from Copa America or Euro 2024 will follow later, while the Olympics could throw another wrench in the works.

    In any case, Slot will have the chance to manage his new teammates and make some crucial choices that will affect several of them in the future. Some might very well leave Anfield for the 2024–2025 season, while others might be headed for a more permanent relocation.

    A list of 10 such players who might be moving this summer has been put together by The Daily Mail. Young players Bobby Clark, James McConnell, and Luke Chambers are among those rumoured to be going on loan to gain more experience on the pitch.

    Sepp van den Berg, Adrian, and Nat Phillips are the ones most likely to be moved on permanently out of the group. Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho is said to have a list of suitors from England, Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, and Tyler Morton is allegedly of interest to RB Leipzig.

    Ederson

    Additionally noted as potential exits are Kostas Tsimikas and Caoimhin Kelleher. In a perfect world, Liverpool could hang onto the former, but it would be very reasonable if he decided to move elsewhere for his shot at the top spot. In regards to Tsimikas, the Greek international may not be able to unseat Andy Robertson as the starting left-back, and his future may depend on the actions taken by the Reds.

    In relation to that, one name has garnered a lot of attention during the past few weeks. In a number of ways, Riccardo Calafiori has drawn attention for Italy at Euro 2024 following an outstanding Serie A season with Bologna.

    Liverpool is reportedly one of several teams who have contacted The Athletic regarding his services. Although Liverpool won’t be the only team showing interest, if it can prevail in the competition for the $32 million defender, he would not only provide insurance at left defence and address the Reds’ need to let go of Tsimikas.

    If Adrian needs a new custodian, Vitezslav Jaros or Fabian Mrozek, who is presently playing for the Czech Republic at Euro 2024, would be able to step up to the senior team. Though we hope he doesn’t, Slot will be extremely familiar with Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow, who would make an excellent backup to Alisson should Kelleher leave.

    After the rebuilding last year, the midfield appears much more established, yet a new number six would still fit in very nicely. Ederson of Atalanta has been connected, and ideally Liverpool will move when his Brazil commitments end this summer.

    Ultimately, there is a lot of conjecture among the strikers, but ideally this summer, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz will remain in their current positions, and they might be joined by another newcomer. Johan Bakayoko, who is only 21 years old, may be the perfect candidate to someday supplant Salah on the right and round out Slot’s dream team, even though we haven’t seen much of him at the Euros yet.

    Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher, Bijlow

    Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Bradley, Gomez, Konate, Calafiori, Robertson, Quansah

    Midfielders: Ederson, Szoboszlai, Jones, Gravenberch, Elliott, Endo, Mac Allister

    Forwards: Salah, Nunez, Gakpo, Diaz, Bakayoko, Jota