Liverpool complete superb signing as Fabrizio Romano declares ‘here we go’
Liverpool have completed the signing of a young defender, with Fabrizio Romano confirming a deal our colleagues on TEAMtalk broke news on three months ago.
Liverpool have welcomed Jeremy Jacquet and Ifeanyi Ndukwe to the club and signed Victor Munoz so far this summer. At least one more addition is wanted on the wings, with Bradley Barcola the top target after Yan Diomande signalled his intention to sign with PSG.
Elsewhere, the future of Curtis Jones – more specifically whether or not he has one at Anfield – could necessitate an arrival in central midfield.
However, Liverpool and their (potentially) outgoing sporting director, Richard Hughes, always keep one eye on the future.
While readymade additions get the fans excited, it is the arrivals of talented prospects that can sometimes prove to be the most important signings.
And according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool sealed a deal to sign Celtic youth team player, Dara Jikiemi, on Sunday.
Liverpool sign Dara Jikiemi from Celtic
He wrote on X: ‘Liverpool have sealed deal to sign Scotland U16 captain Dara Jikiemi from Celtic, here we go!
‘Jikiemi has signed paperwork on Sunday to join #LFC on a 5 year contract.’
Jikiemi follows in the footsteps of Calvin Ramsay and Ben Gannon-Doak who also joined Liverpool by way of Scottish sides as youngsters.
Doak also came via Celtic, and despite never making much of an impression at Liverpool, he was sold for substantial profit (£25m add-ons included via Bournemouth) last summer.
News of Liverpool striking a deal to sign Jikiemi was actually broken by our pals on TEAMtalk way back in mid-March.
Back then, their insider, Graeme Bailey, explained: ‘Liverpool have won the race to sign highly-rated Celtic youngster Dara Jikiemi after convincing the teenage defender to make the move south of the border, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.
‘The English champions have been working on a deal for the 16-year-old since the turn of the year, identifying the versatile youngster as one of the brightest prospects in Celtic’s academy setup.
‘Jikiemi, who is comfortable at centre-back but can also operate in midfield, has now opted to reject Celtic’s offer of a three-year deal in favour of a switch to Anfield.
‘Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that the teenager has agreed to join Liverpool on a scholarship, with a professional contract already lined up for when he turns 17 next January.
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‘We understand a number of English clubs were tracking the defender closely and explored the possibility of bringing him south. However, the decision ultimately came down to a choice between remaining at Celtic or joining Liverpool.
‘In the end, the Reds’ long-term vision and pathway for young talent proved decisive in persuading Jikiemi to make the cross-border move.
‘Liverpool have not been shy about recruiting emerging talent from Scotland in recent years, with the likes of Calvin Ramsay and Ben Doak both making the switch from the Scottish Premiership to Merseyside.
‘Jikiemi is now set to follow a similar path as he prepares to continue his development within Liverpool’s academy system, with the club confident they have secured one of the most promising young defenders currently emerging from north of the border.’
