Liverpool transfer news: Roméo Lavia is said to be open to a move to Anfield, while Jürgen Klopp has reportedly ruled out a move for a Bundesliga defender.
Pre-season might be in full flow, but there is still work to do for Liverpool in the transfer market.
The Reds stepped up their preparations for the 2023/24 campaign on Tuesday as the majority of players made their return to the AXA Training Centre.
New signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were among those joining the initial group of eight from Saturday, with Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott now the only remaining players to report back following their triumph with England at the U21 European Championship.
Jürgen Klopp though will hope Mac Allister and Szoboszlai aren’t the only fresh faces to arrive this summer, with some areas still to address in his squad.
A new defender would appear to be top of the list, although the Liverpool boss has reportedly ruled out one potential option from the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, another midfielder isn’t out of the question yet, and there is yet more speculation over Roméo Lavia’s future at Southampton.
Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today.
Roméo Lavia (Southampton)
Roméo Lavia is open to a move to Liverpool this summer, but the Reds need Southampton to lower its asking price, according to journalist Ben Jacobs (via Caught Offside).
According to the report, the Saints are holding firm on their valuation, said to be $65m (£50m/€59m) according to Football Insider, in the hope that they can start a bidding war with Arsenal and Chelsea also in the running. Liverpool though views Manchester City’s $52m (£40m/€47m) buyback clause, active from next summer, as a yardstick for a valuation.
Liverpool.com says: Lavia certainly seems to be the most likely player Liverpool will go for at this stage if it is to sign another midfielder this summer. If Southampton is hoping to spark a bidding war though, the Reds could well end up taking their interest elsewhere, having seemingly made it clear how much they’re willing to spend.
Liverpool has cooled its interest in Micky van de Ven, with Tottenham now looking set to sign the defender, according to Wolfsburger Allgemeinen Zeitung.
According to the report, Jörg Schmadtke consulted with Jürgen Klopp about the Netherlands international, and came to the conclusion that a move to Anfield would come too early for Van de Ven, with the 22-year-old lacking the ‘physical robustness’ to assert himself in the Premier League.
Liverpool.com says: Well, that’s one option for a new defender seemingly ruled out. It has looked for some time that Van de Ven has been edging towards Tottenham, with TuttoMercatoWeb claiming a $33m (£26m/€30m) offer has been made, while Liverpool has been eyeing up other targets as Levi Colwill appears to be near the top of the wishlist.
