Arne Slot has a first piece of silverware as Liverpool boss in his sights this weekend, but it won’t be long until he has to start looking at new signings at Anfield.
The Reds take on Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday in what they hope will be the first part of a double. Their treble hopes were of course ended by Paris Saint-Germain during the week, but with the Premier League title surely on the way, Slot can be more than happy with his efforts in his first season.
He might have plenty of work to do in the summer though, especially if Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are to move on at the end of their contracts. Others, like Darwin Nunez, have also been linked with moves away, although there are plenty of names being linked with a move to Anfield.
Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds on Saturday, including a sensational move for Julian Alvarez.
Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)
Liverpool is eyeing up a potential move for Julian Alvarez a year on from its initial attempts to sign the former Manchester City forward, according to Anfield Watch.
It’s claimed that the club made an attempt to sign Alvarez from City last summer before he completed his move to Atletico Madrid. It’s suggested that sporting director Richard Hughes flew to Madrid to hold talks with the player’s agent, while his international teammate Alexis Mac Allister was involved in the charm offensive.
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An agreement could not be found due to City’s insistence that Luis Diaz be involved in the deal, but it’s suggested that Liverpool has retained its interest in Alvarez, even though it would take a bid of more than $129M to take him away from Atletico. It’s suggested that Darwin Nunez could be used as a makeweight in a deal, with Diego Simeone said to be a huge fan of the Uruguayan.
Liverpool.com says: We’ll put this in the ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’ pile. Alvarez would be an exciting signing, but do we really believe Liverpool might sign him after just one season at Atletico? Getting him in exchange for Nunez sounds like a very attractive prospect, but we can’t see it happening – not without a hefty fee to along with it.
Joao Gomes (Wolves)
Liverpool is close to sealing a $65 million (£50M) deal for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, according to reports in Brazil.
Gazeta Do Urubu claims the Reds are leading the race for the 24-year-old, who is also said to be attracting interest from Manchester United and clubs in Italy. A transfer is reportedly possible in the summer, with his former club Flamengo entitled to a significant share of the fee.
Liverpool.com says: This one at least sounds a lot more plausible. Liverpool has done well when picking up players from lower down the Premier League before, and as well as the midfield has done this season, it definitely still needs bolstering, so Gomes could be a welcome addition.
