Liverpool ‘close to agreement in principle’ for signing after making £38m bid for PSG target
According to reports, Premier League giants Liverpool are ‘close to an agreement in principle’ as they look to finalise their first summer signing.
During last summer’s transfer window, Liverpool were focused on rebuilding their midfield. They invested around £200m to sign Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo.
Another midfielder incoming?
This was required as Liverpool lost Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during the same transfer window.
Each of Liverpool’s midfield signings contributed to varying levels during Jurgen Klopp’s farewell season, but they are still being linked with potential targets in that area of the pitch ahead of Arne Slot‘s first year at Anfield as head coach.
Last week, it emerged that Atalanta’s Brazilian midfielder Ederson has emerged as a potential target for Liverpool after they reportedly ended their interest in Juventus-linked Teun Koopmeiners.
The 24-year-old lined up against Liverpool this season as Atalanta knocked the Premier League giants out of the Europa League. He grabbed six goals and an assist in his 36 Serie A outings.
Brazilian reporter Jorge Nicola firstly claimed Liverpool have submitted a €45m (£38m) bid to Atalanta to sign the centre-midfielder.
A different report coming out of Brazil claims ‘Ederson is close to reaching an agreement in principle with Liverpool’ after he had been ‘followed almost all season’ by the Premier League side.
It is also noted that Ligue Un giants Paris Saint-Germain have been ‘following him’, but their interest is ‘not concrete’ at this stage.
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Liverpool expert James Pearce thinks they “need to strengthen” in the defensive midfield department, but it will “come down to availability and affordability”.
“It will come down to availability and affordability,” Pearce said in a Q&A for The Athletic.
“The market for No 6s is probably the most over-inflated in football. I’d love to see them sign an elite holding midfielder, because I’m not sure that just having Endo and young Stefan Bajcetic, who is gifted but playing catch-up after missing so much football due to injury, gives you enough in that department.
“Last season proved that Mac Allister is so much better operating further up the pitch, where he can really impact games in the final third.
“Of course, we don’t know yet where Slot intends to play Alexander-Arnold. Will he stay at right-back and then drift into central areas when Liverpool are in possession, or will he simply become a midfielder? Either way, I’d say Liverpool need to strengthen in that area.”
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