Liverpool: Summer Transfer Rumors
With the reopening of the transfer market, Liverpool are back in business and could make several additions to their squad this summer.
Of course, there is no sense in shaking up a quintuple-winning team. Instead, Rodgers will pursue some of the world's highly-rated youngsters. One of those, France Under-19 international
Pierre-Francois Costantini, is already set to join Liverpool in July.
Aside from Costantini, the club is looking at 21-year-old
Andres Bascon. The defender, who is already capped for the Spain national team, was a product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, and has showed plenty of promise.
However, he has not been unable to get first-team chances at Barca, instead being cast to the B team for which he has made 109 appearances in the Segunda Division. As a result, Bascon is keen on leaving, and there will be nothing to stop him when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Several top European sides are monitoring the situation but Bascon is understood to prefer Liverpool, and if the Anfield club stumps up a reasonable fee this summer, Barca would allow the youngster to depart immediately without the need of seeing out his contract.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos has had yet another impressive season at Liverpool, where he made 21 appearances in the Premier League, playing in 36 games across all competitions. The Greek international was initially brought in as a short-term replacement for Mamadou Sakho, but he has so far exceeded Rodgers' expectations.
The Liverpool boss is a fan of Papadopoulos' quality and consistency, and the fact that he does not complain about playing second fiddle to the preferred pairing of Eder Alvarez Balanta and Samuel Umtiti.
Rodgers wants the 28-year-old at Anfield for a third season but Arsenal are unlikely to sanction another loan, and will instead demand a fee of around £7 million for Liverpool to take him permanently.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos could join Liverpool permanently this summer
A loanee that is unlikely to remain at Liverpool though, is Manchester City striker
Giovanni Simeone, despite his good form throughout his short spell at the club.
In 6 months, the former Norwich star scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games and certainly proved his worth to the team. Naturally, Rodgers would not mind having the prolific goal-getter in his squad again, but he has been put off by City's high loan fee demands.
He will instead look to sign 19-year-old
Sergio Riascos. The versatile forward can be utilized as a striker or on the left wing, and has been tipped for big things after a brilliant season with Tigres in the Liga MX, where he scored 6 goals in 28 appearances.
A Colombia Under-20 international, Riascos linked up with Tigres just a year ago from local club Atletico Nacional, but Liverpool are hoping to persuade the Mexican club to allow him to further his career in Europe.
After losing a second consecutive Champions League Final, this time to Arsenal, Real Madrid are set to splash the cash again this summer.
The La Liga champions will offload left-back Alessio Romagnoli, who has been subject to interest from Chelsea, and want Liverpool's
David Alaba as a replacement for the Italian.
Real Madrid want to sign either David Alaba or Yusuf Turan
Alaba, who recently signed a new contract worth £200k a week, is not looking to leave Liverpool but he would be open to a Madrid move. However, Real will have to spend big if they want to land their target, considering the former Bayern man was signed by Liverpool for £50 million in 2016.
Los Blancos manager Andre Villas-Boas is also keen on
Gustavo Cuello to bolster his midfield options. The 22-year-old came to Liverpool from ADO Den Haag in 2018, but has failed to break into the first team, making only 27 appearances in the space of two and a half years.
Rodgers wants to keep Cuello and is adamant that he has a future at the club, but the Argentine himself is angling for a move to the Spanish capital.
Villas-Boas has also named
Yusuf Turan, another Liverpool left-back, as his second choice if a transfer for Alaba does not materialize. The 19-year-old played in the Euros for Turkey and is a highly skilled player for his age, but is also being watched by Manchester City scouts.
Juventus are planning a triple swoop for Reds legends
Raheem Sterling and
Philippe Coutinho, as well as Dutch striker
Richairo Zivkovic, although their ambitious transfer plans are unlikely to be successful.
The 36-times Serie A winners have lured Liverpool players to Turin in the past, such as Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho, but they will undoubtedly find it harder to poach any of the aforementioned names.
Zivkovic, who is wanted to replace the retiring Carlos Tevez, may be an easier catch but the Liverpool number 9 is also a target of Bayern Munich.
However Rodgers will not allow Zivkovic to leave unless he can sign Brazilian forward
Israel from Atalanta.
The 19-year-old, full name Israel Kelvin Schmitt, only arrived in Italy last summer for a paltry fee of £6 million, but his value has skyrocketed after finishing his debut season at Atalanta as Serie A's top goalscorer with 20 goals in 33 games.