Ornstein reveals two players Liverpool plan to sign as he names six Reds stars with ‘uncertain’ futures
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has name-dropped two players that Liverpool plan on signing when they summer transfer window opens.
Arne Slot’s start to his time as Reds boss could not have gone loads better with Liverpool on course to win their 20th English top-flight title.
Their 2-1 win over West Ham on Sunday extended their lead over second-placed Arsenal to 13 points and it will take an incredible drop off from Liverpool to allow the Gunners back into the title race now.
Liverpool can already look ahead to the summer and who they will be signing after being boosted by Mohamed Salah’s decision to renew his contract last week.
Virgil van Dijk is now expected to follow in the coming days and Ornstein has revealed a couple of names who could be joining the Liverpool captain and Salah at Anfield next term.
Ornstein told NBC Sports on Sunday: “It’s going to be a really busy summer with recruitment.
“I think they’re in the mix for Dean Huijsen at Bournemouth, the centre-half, Milos Kerkez, the left-back at Bournemouth. Perhaps a striker with Darwin Nunez expected to leave as well.”
One player who is still likely to leave Liverpool in the summer is Trent Alexander-Arnold with the academy product set to join Real Madrid on a free transfer.
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Speaking about other players who have “uncertainty” surrounding their future at the club, Ornstein added: “The uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate who’s going into the last 12 months of his contract, with no breakthrough on those terms.
“What’s going to happen with Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Joe Gomez, even Luis Diaz, is approaching the final two years of his contract, so there’s a lot to sort out.”
Ornstein continued: “It’s a different situation with Trent Alexander-Arnold. The expectation is that he will leave for Real Madrid as a free agent at the end of the season.
“Perhaps some criticism for Liverpool, for FSG on that front, for leaving it late on a younger player who has come through the system here at Anfield.”
READ: Michael Edwards among six Liverpool stakeholders unhappy with Salah, Van Dijk extensions
The journalist had already revealed interest from Liverpool in Bournemouth centre-back Huijsen with a number of clubs interested in the Spain international.
Ornstein said on a Q&A with The Athletic: “I now understand that Liverpool are among the clubs with a firm interest in Dean Huijsen. This has been reported elsewhere and is accurate. Chelsea have enquired and Arsenal are in the mix, too.
“At the moment, those are perhaps the three leading contenders but not the only ones, with Newcastle and Tottenham also keen. I believe they have all held meetings or conversations with Huijsen’s camp in the last week, but I’m not aware of offers being made just yet, so the direction of travel remains unclear.
“It has been well documented that Real Madrid held great appeal for Huijsen growing up, and they do like him, but I don’t know of them actively working on it and therefore – at the time of writing – it looks most probable he will join another Premier League club.
“I think there’s a desire on the part of Bournemouth and the player to have this situation decided asap. The £50m release clause makes it a clean and potentially quick deal to do, which we’ve seen Liverpool capitalise on in the past.”
