The Unreliable Rumours Discussion Thread (Part 1)

Coming days/weeks… It could mean 5 days/weeks or 365 days 52 weeks later?

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If he’s saying winger or striker isn’t it obvious that he doesn’t actually know who it is, at least at the moment?

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Looks like we are not the only team interested in Saul.

El Mundo is pretty realiable when they write about Barca and their possible transfers.

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Maybe doesn’t know our principal target by name, but what are we looking for in terms of positions and style. Makes sense to me anyway, it’s what I expected. Could also depend on our departures, who exactly goes and what kind of money we generate. I think a CB was always the big priority and then for the remaining 2 targets (if we are going for 2 more), we’ll maybe have to wait for the latter stages of summer.

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We are going for two more, I think. The priority is possibly

  1. Midfielder
  2. Attacker

And it will all depend on how much fund we can generate from sales.

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I don’t think it’s transfer fees, it’s wages.

I don’t know what connection Romano has with our club, but if he is semi-reliable then that sort of statement suggests he knows who is departing (Origi) rather than who we are targeting.

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I don’t think we need to “sell to buy” in the way people usually mean that phrase. I think with past transfer expenditures coming to an end we could, if wanted, commit to quite a bit more going out than coming in.

But we have too large a squad than we can use and Klopp likes smaller than that. The books and wages are full of players, some like Origi with almost no book value so their sales will generate almost 100% “profit” on the books, some like Minamino who would generate significant profits and some like Keita that we might struggle to recover what is left on the books but wages are taking up a lot of room.

I think there are 4 areas we could still buy players for;

Centre Midfield; At least 2 of Grujic, Ox and Keita need to move on for someone to come in. Possibly, stretching it, if enough attackers move on Ox could move into attack and Grujic could be sold or loaned and we’d have enough “room” to add a CM but would be a strain on wages so I kind of don’t really expect that. I actually half expect all 3 to depart permanently this summer, certainly over the next 3 windows maximum. I only really see 1 coming in unless we look to set up in 4231 or 442 diamond formation more next year in which case we’ll need a goal scoring AM as well as a CM.

Attack; Yet again we need to move on a lot. In total we will want to move on Awoniyi, Ojo, Origi, Minamino and at least one of Shaqiri or Wilson, probably both. We might not recruit here just simply because we have so many to get rid of and any many drag their feet on a departure. It also kind of depends what roles we see for others. Elliott looks like he’ll be with us next season. Mane and Salah wide or Salah first choice as a mobile, floating CF? Jota a wide option or seen as a contender for starting CF when we play one? All this assumes all of Firmino, Mane and Salah stay, if any of them leave they’ll be replaced by a top player I think. I think ideally we’ll sell most or all of those we want rid of above with any unsold loaned out. We will add a CF type for a realistic alternative set up and possibly a younger, developing, wide forward to bed in and one day replace Salah and Mane along with Elliott. But we might only add one or the other. CF and use Jota wide or wide forward and use Jota at CF.

Central Defence; For me any of Matip (wanting to be a main choice somewhere like I don’t think will happen here now with younger Konate and Gomez due to Matips injuries), Phillips, Davies and Williams could leave on sale or loan. Depending on if any leave we could still add a 2nd new CB. I think VvD, Konate and Gomez are not going anywhere, 2 other names will be on the squad list. I’d say right now it seems like Matip and Davies with Phillips sold and Williams on loan. My personal choice would be a new guy and Williams (who I think has potential) as 5th choice.

Full back; Most likely if Neco Williams moves on but slightly less likely Tsimikas go seeking playing time. Doubt it personally but maybe a RB, a younger type.

So absolutely maximum we are talking an unlikely 6 (CB, RB, CM, AM, Winger and CF) but realistically I expect a maximum of 3 of those 6 options.

The players I’d want for those 6 possible would be;

CB; Botman, Badiashile, Caleta-Car or Tosin Abarabioyo.
RB; Tomas Esteves or Tomas Tavares maybe? Not really that sure.
CM; Gravenberch, Saul, Camavinga, Bellingham.
AM; Goncalves or even Dele Alli.
Winger; Doku seems like a contender.
CF; Abraham is a personal favourite, I like that Kalajdzic is a fan. Azmoun is a left field option.

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I don’t see atletico buying him. They are skint hence Saul being sold.

I don’t see us brining in any defenders. Only a CM and maybe an attacker.

I’d really like a CM as I think that’s where, although we have the numbers, we can’t rely on the fitness of Ox or Naby. As i said earlier, of the most recent chatter, Saul is the one that peaks my interest more.

Attacking wise, I’m quite comfortable with our main front 4, supplemented by Elliot and one other. Of we can shift two of Shaq, Taki, div and Wilson, the space is there for one in, that’s young and for the future.

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Best way to handle things when you’re skint is to sell expensive players and buy cheaper replacements. Quickest way to raise tens of millions. Wouldn’t surprise me to see something like Saul and Felix getting sold and Alberto and De Paul being bought as their replacements for half to 2/3rds of the price.

Seeing Grujic to Porto being mentioned as close to done by some on twitter for 13m euros. Haven’t seen a source for this mentioned yet though.

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A Bola claim that Porto are very close to agreeing a dela with Liverpool for Grujic.

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thats a shame. probably not true then :rofl:

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I think that this is not the usual bulshit story. And Portuguese sources are most of the time unreliable when we speak for transfers ‘‘Out’’ of their leading teams.

But in this case it is about a transfer ‘‘In’’ Porto.

So, I think it is very possible. There is mutual desire from all 3 parties involved /Porto, LFC, Grujic/.

LFC will gain almost 12 mln. pounds and the club also fetched around 3 mln. pounds from loan fees. Grujic is already 25 and Liverpool understand pretty well that it is time for a permanent transfer, while Conceicao clearly likes Marko and his style of play.

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From what we read earlier in the window, Grujic transfer is part of a complicated situation where Porto sell one of their players to Fiorentina and spend part of that money to buy Grujic. That sale to Fiorentina isn’t on the cards anymore after Gattuso left.

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They are allowed to sell other players and also raise funds from other sources.

I haven’t read anything on this but transfer decisions by continental clubs are often not taken by the coaches but by the Director of Football or his recruitment team. I don’t know how much weight Gattuso carried at Fiorentina over which players to sign but I would think that even with him gone there is a good chance they would still want to land that player.

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Gatusso was there for 3 weeks. I dont think their transfer strategy was based around him.

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It’s by Jack Lusby, so yeah it may not be worth referring.

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