Liverpool transfer news as ‘$33m Barcelona bid rejected’ and Chelsea ‘hijack’ claim emerges
Liverpool transfer news: Jürgen Klopp has made a ‘personal request’ for his side to up its ‘offer’ for a Barcelona star while Chelsea is looking at Roméo Lavia.
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Time keeps ticking by before the new season but progress is being made in the transfer market for Liverpool. It was confirmed yesterday that Jordan Henderson had moved to Al Ettifaq and Fabinho is expected to join Al Ettihad.
Liverpool has had more than enough time to consider its next move after the surprise news of Saudi Arabian interest in the pair a couple of weeks back, with the Reds having slowly been able to make plans for life without the duo in preparation.
While there is no easy way of replacing two players who would have played a big role at Anfield next season, Liverpool does have an opportunity to upgrade if it gets its transfer decisions right over the coming weeks.
Neither Henderson nor Fabinho were at their peak levels last season and while they are both experienced and respected members of the Liverpool dressing room, there is a chance for a proper reset this summer.
Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today, starting with a look at a Barcelona defender being linked with a switch. That, of course, is the other position that needs strengthening, as well as in midfield.
Andreas Christensen (Barcelona)
Former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, now at Barcelona, is on the radar of Liverpool and Manchester United this summer, according to Spanish outlet El Nacional.
The report claims that Liverpool has already seen an offer worth $33m (£26m/€30m) turned down, with Barcelona holding out for a fee closer to $55m (£43m/€50m). And Jürgen Klopp has supposedly made a ‘personal request’ for the Dane.
Liverpool.com says: The Reds do need a center-back but the chances of Christensen being the man seem slim. Liverpool needs someone with a higher ceiling who is capable of playing on the left-hand side and one day taking over from Virgil van Dijk. The ex-Chelsea star is not the man to be able to offer that.
Roméo Lavia (Southampton)
Another day, another update on Roméo Lavia. It seems likely that the Belgian will become a Liverpool player this summer, though the deal has not happened quickly enough for him to fly out to Singapore with the Reds.
CBS Sports’ Ben Jacobs reports on Twitter that having seen a $102m (£80m/€93m) bid knocked back instantly for Moisés Caicedo, Chelsea is considering hijacking the deal for Lavia.
Lavia, though, is ‘sold on Liverpool’ and is expected to move to Anfield. Chelsea made an offer of $64m (£50m/€58m) for Lavia last summer even though it was the same window in which he joined Southampton from Manchester City. It is that price that the Saints are demanding a year on.
Liverpool.com says: Considering Chelsea made an offer for Lavia a year ago, it is slightly surprising that Liverpool has not faced more competition for the Belgian. Arsenal, too, might have shown more interest had Thomas Partey decided to leave, but the Reds have had a relatively free run at the 19-year-old until now.