The Unreliable LFC Transfer Rumours Discussion Thread (Part 3)

Rumour Mill
2281

I can understand where Sepp VdB is coming from, even if we may want players, especially younger ones, to not be so public in shouting the odds.

He hasn’t said anything especially untoward, but he hasn’t exactly kept it in house either. He could have easily played the whole thing with a straight bat and made his wishes known to the club via his agent.

The price on his head smells like Mikey Edwards, unless it is his disciple Richard Hughes being cut from the same cloth. Prices are a funny thing. 20M for a Prem team? They are getting a very good young defender, with decent experience, and the price is fair and could even prove to be a bargain.

But 20M for a team in a league where the money doesn’t flow so readily? It might be too much, though from our perspective, that’s not our problem, especially if the player is under contract for a while.

I’m not altogether sure there’s a way back to Liverpool for him. There might be, but Quansah seems to have grabbed onto the young cb role with both hands, and credit to him for that. He looks a real player.

If we sign a cb this summer, and surely we will, with VVD getting older and Konate missing games, then Sepp will be fifth choice, arguably 6th choice depending on how Gomez is viewed.

VVD
Konate
Newbie e.g. Pacho
Quansah
Sepp VdB
Gomez

So all things considered he will probably move on, although I suspect his level is good enough to be part of our group, but not high up the pecking order, so he will want to play and build his career.

So now it’s back to the money. And with Edwards at the helm, we are not going to do anyone any favors there.

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2282

I’d prefer the club to keep Sepp and if possible /for the right price, well for PSG 50+ mln. pounds will be just fine/ sell Konate. And then add another top class central defender /with Ibou’s money/. Guehi, Branhthwaite are my preferred choices. And we will have - Virgil, Quansah, Sepp and one more solid player at a very good age.

I have lost hope for Konate, definitely a very good player, but injury prone /another one from the RB organisation with the same problems, the other was Naby/ and every time he gets back in the starting 11 he looks so rusty and needs matches. For 3 full seasons in LFC he played 51 PL games / 45 starts/, definitely not good enough.

Matip with all his problems has played 55 games in the league for the last 3 seasons /52 starts/.

Sepp is slowly becoming a top player and the club will make a big mistake, if they sell him now. I’d say that at the moment van den Berg is Micky van den Ven’s level and is one year younger. Very fast, strong in the air, has a solid experience /played in the Championship and 2 seasons in the Bundesliga and still only 22 years old/.

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2283

Agree with that. However, if he wants to leave I am sure that the club won’t stand in his way.

Whilst I share your concerns about Ibou’s injury history, he’s still potentially the best CB in the squad (he’s better now than Virgil was at the same age) and it would take a lot more than £50m for me to sell him.

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2284

There’s a lot of merit in this, and if PSG give us good money for Konate, we could convert it to another top CB and bring Sepp VdB back, so it would be:

VVD
Newbie
Quansah
Sepp VdB
Gomez (mostly deployed now as back u0 full back)

One caveat might be the age of the group. If we sign someone like Branthwaite, or Yoro, it’s very young, apart from VVD.

We might be fine, as the old caveat applies - it’s not how old you are but how good you are. Still, perhaps more than any other outfield position, central defence is an area where experience matters.

Edit:
I would reluctantly sell Konate though, but only because of his appearance record. He misses too much action, but I think his quality is great.

2285

If the lad thinks we’re pricing him out of a move by asking £20m for him then even he doesn’t see himself at those levels.

Konate is a better player. Yes he has injury issues but if we’re shopping for another CB then Konate plus the new guy is stronger than Van den Berg and the new guy so I’ll take that.

Quansah has the young development project role locked down, we don’t need another of those at the expense of a senior international player.

Maybe the new fitness team will help fix some of Konate’s niggles. There’s no reason to go chasing him out the door at the first sniff of interest.

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2286

There does seem to be a bit of a strong reaction in terms of hype here. van den Berg is a good player by all accounts (I can’t claim to watch Mainz unfortunately) but suddenly peoplemare talking about him one of the best young players in Europe - it seems a stretch. The clubs chasing him are Southampton and Brentford afterall and I doubt he’s be considered an immediate starter at either team.

If he stays here, which I would like (if hes the best option) it’ll obviously be as a developmental/rotational CB. Lets not go overhyping players based on some solid but unspectacular play at RB for Preston and a season in a relegation level Bundesliga side. It’s unfair on the lad to make out he’s more than he is. That’s what tabloid newspapers do so they can tear into players later on.

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2287

Quansah seemed to actually pass Konate to be first choice to partner Van Dijk at the end of the season. A summer gaining confidence with England and he may solidify a starting role - leaving Konate, Gomez, and room for another young defender in the bench.

2288

Nothing new here in today’s BBC gossip round-up.

Liverpool and Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, 31, has been identified by the Saudi Pro League as one of their main targets for this summer. (Teamtalk)

Leeds United’s Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville has emerged as a £30m transfer target for Liverpool. (Mirror)

Manchester United and Liverpool are monitoring Sporting Lisbon and Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio, 22. (Fabrizio Romano)

Liverpool are plotting to sign a new defensive midfielder, with Japan international Wataru Endo, 31, viewed only as a stop-gap player. (Football Insider)

What are thoughts on Ian Maatsen as a replacement for Tsimikas and maybe an even replacement for Robbo?

Borussia Dortmund do not have first option to buy on-loan Dutch defender Ian Maatsen, 22, with Chelsea’s £35m release clause open to any clubs interested in the 22-year-old left-back. (Mail)

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2289

I had heard about Maatsen before the CL final so tuned in and one of the subplots was to watch him. It is the tiniest sample size, and a CL final against perhaps the best team in the world, so my opinion comes with those caveats.

But basically I was not that impressed. Not just his error for their second goal. But I didn’t see a whole lot that made me think we have to get this player.

If we do go in for him then I will back it 100% as we recruit well, and it will only improve as we get the recruitment gang together again.

But my hope is that Robbo continues to do well in the position, and that we find a diamond within, someone for the left who will make an impact like Conor Bradley.

That might be too much to hope for, but I’d like to try it, and see…

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2290

There is no LB at the club currently who can replicate what Bradley did unfortunately. Luke Chambers has played very well in his two loan spells at Kilmarnock and Wigan but the lad is still skinny and undersized, he’ll get knocked about at PL currently.

Scanlon is rapid and a bit more physical than Chambers but he’s also consistently injured and has not developed as a defender really.

In my opinion Maatsen is a significantly better prospect than either of them.

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2291

Meanwhile Tranmere Rovers think Kylian Mbappé would be a useful addition.

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2292

I’ve noticed the Saudi league is again after all our players.

Almost seems deliberate

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2293

At least they’re after De Bruyne this summer too.

Look forward to Chelsea selling half the players they bought last summer to Saudi clubs for twice what they paid for them.

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2294

I don’t think De Bruyne really improves Man City at present. He still has big games and big moments, but if he goes they won’t miss him. Not the current version.

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2295

Another loan for Calvin Ramsey.

https://x.com/LFC/status/1798429682955604053

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2296

Very early in the season. I guess the preseason will help integrate with the squad.

2297

https://x.com/Mobyhaque1/status/1798741100930453999

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2298

A quick look at Ederson on FBRef:

image
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The 24 year old Brazilian defensive midfielder stands at 6’2 192 so he’s a more imposing physical specimen than Endo. He’s also at the age where he should be ready to play immediately while still having room to improve. Looks like he could be a good fit to improve our depth at DM and possibly take over for Endo in the near future.

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2299

First Pearce dampener of the window. Now we’re cooking.

https://x.com/JamesPearceLFC/status/1798791262516203975

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2300

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