This summer time, Liverpool have proven indicators that they need to progress from a Premier League-winning aspect to a Champions League-winning aspect.
They’ve added gamers everywhere in the pitch, together with Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, who each bagged their first aggressive objectives for Liverpool at Wednesday through the FA Group Defend final weekend.
Arne Slot is not completed with signings but, although, as he seems to nonetheless be pushing for Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and now England and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace captain appears more likely to transfer this summer time after the membership’s co-owner and chairman, Steve Parish, admitted that they might must promote him.
The present valuation for Guehi is £35 million. Slot’s summer time spending will not be ending there both, as he appears to make Guehi a part of a double centre-back switch plan.
Liverpool in “negotiations” for “actually particular” Italian expertise
In addition to Guehi, Slot is wanting to usher in 18-year-old Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni. This information was shared by Fabrizio Romano, who extremely charges Leoni and beforehand described him as “actually particular”.
Romano has revealed that each offers are being labored on, with Guehi being seen as a terrific signing for now and Leoni as one for the long run.
“Liverpool don’t see Giovanni Leoni and Marc Guehi essentially as different choices. LFC engaged on each offers for weeks as Leoni’s extremely rated for future and Guehi seen as large alternative: Each negotiations are on.”
The younger centre-back will not come low-cost, as he’s presently valued at £34 million, which might make him Parma’s third costliest sale ever, behind Gianlugi Buffon and Hernan Crespo. This value could seem costly now, but it surely’s cheap given the longevity of the funding.
Leoni made 17 appearances for Parma final season and even popped up with a purpose. His expertise within the Serie A might make him priceless within the brief time period in addition to the long run for Liverpool, as Slot presently faces a difficult squad depth state of affairs.
Slot an damage away from hassle
Whereas it has been left as one of many final positions that they may fill this window, the centre-back state of affairs is a way more urgent matter for Liverpool than many followers realise.
Presently, Slot is not spoiled for choices within the centre-back division. His first decisions are undoubtedly distinctive, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Nonetheless, after that, their choices are Joe Gomez, who missed 28 video games final season by means of damage, and Rhys Williams, who, at 24, has by no means actually been trusted within the first group.
An damage to both of their first two decisions would go away them in a precarious predicament. Slot might use a participant from one other place as a makeshift centre-back on this case, however the extra smart transfer can be bringing in Guehi or Leoni, ideally each.
One other difficulty is that Konate solely has a yr left on his contract and is already being checked out by Actual Madrid. Van Dijk lately signed a contract extension, however just for two years, which means each gamers days on the membership are additionally numbered.
Liverpool want to usher in centre-backs this summer time as a result of their squad depth is not adequate for this season, and it’ll solely worsen within the coming switch home windows. Pretty much as good as the opposite signings have been, in the event that they fail to signal at the least one centre-back, it will likely be seen as an enormous blunder.
