Our Liverpool supporters were absolutely ecstatic in the Football Transfer Tavern earlier, not only because the international break is now reaching a close but for the fact that many sources including the Liverpool Echo claim Xabi Alonso could well be on his way back to Anfield.
The Echo referenced German reports in BILD that confirmed Bayern Munich will NOT be offering the 33-year-old a new deal at the Allianz Arena with the path clear for the former Anfield darling to make an emotional return in the summer.
Of course, Alonso is now reaching the twilight of his professional career but he has already proved he can still cut it at the very top and lets face it, Liverpool’s midfield is hardly bursting with world beaters at the moment.
Clearly going to be one of the best free transfers out there on the market for next summer, many clubs will be clamouring for the former Real Madrid man’s signature but Anfield holds a special place in Alonso’s heart and with transfer reunions being more commonplace nowadays, Liverpool have good reason to feel optimistic.
But with Jurgen Klopp set to really define his Liverpool squad in the next two transfer windows, we wonder who might be following Alonso into Anfield again? Here’s five men who might be.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five players who could follow Xabi Alonso to Liverpool.
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Timo Horn
Back on November 11th, The Express claimed Jurgen Klopp was lining up FC Koln goalkeeper Timo Horn as his first signing at the club with the German establishing himself as the number one at Cologne back in 2012.
Boasting a release clause of just £6 million, our Liverpool supporters by the bar would love a goalkeeper of the calibre of Petr Cech or Hugo Lloris but you never know, Horn could be a future star if signed.
While both Horn and German compatriot Marc-Andre ter Stegen have both been linked with a January transfer, a swoop for Horn may have to wait until the summer like Alonso if Klopp wants to take a longer look at both Simon Mignolet and Adam Bogdan.
Domenico Berardi
Although Bleacher Report recently claimed that Liverpool have suffered a blow in the race to land Sassuolo striker Domenico Berardi with the Italian waxing lyrical about Barcelona himself as a potential destination, we don’t think he stands a chance of joining Luis Enrique’s star-studded team…yet!
For Liverpool on the other hand however, first team prospects would be easier to come by.
Back at the end of October, The Mirror reported that Berardi is a top Reds target for both this January and next summer having built a solid reputation for himself as a clinical marksman in Serie A.
In other reports, Sassuolo have come out and claimed the Italian is absolutely not for sale but in the grand scheme of things, they are a minnow in European football and every footballer has their price.
Liverpool might encounter competition from Juventus in the race to sign him however with the Italian champions having a clause that means they can bring him to Northern Italy next summer for £13 million.
Ayoze Perez
Ten days ago, The Mirror claimed Newcastle United’s Ayoze Perez is currently at the centre of a three-way battle between Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham who are all chasing his services.
The Magpies are more than likely to continue struggling this term under Steve McClaren and Ayoze might have designs on bettering himself elsewhere having burst onto the scene well in England.
Then again, the player might prove to be loyal to the Toon Army given the fact they gave him his big break in the Premier League but whatever happens, an aggressive transfer pursuit will be the only way to pull this one off with the Spaniard being one of Newcastle’s best players on the books.
The Magpies have caved in and reluctantly sold both Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy before and lets face it, it’ll take a big fee to sign Ayoze but Liverpool weren’t shy in splashing the million during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure.
Leroy Sane
One name continuously linked with a Liverpool transfer over the past couple of weeks has been Schalke winger Leroy Sane.
The 19-year-old is one the new kids on the block in the Bundesliga, making the same kind of splash that Dele Alli has done in the Premier League so far this term.
The latest on his situation was reported by The Telegraph yesterday who claim Sane is the first name on Jurgen Klopp’s shopping list for the New Year.
Earning his first ever senior cap for Germany in the current international break, Sane’s reputation is growing by the week and Liverpool are doing all they can to place themselves at the forefront of the market by already having lodged a £10 million bid for his services.
While this will get Schalke thinking, we think it’ll take a far greater fee for the Gelsenkirchen-based side to sell who of course played hardball over Julian Draxler’s transfer fee numerous times down the years.
Mauro Icardi
While Stefan Kiessling is a striker who has been at the forefront of the Liverpool transfer rumours of late, another man that isn’t so far behind is Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.
Metro reported a little while back that the Argentine is open to leaving the San Siro at the end of the season with both Liverpool and Chelsea being spoken about as potential destinations for the former Sampdoria man.
A player who definitely fits that marquee bracket that Brendan Rodgers was seemingly unable to breach, Icardi would represent a completely different kind of striker to Christian Benteke giving Klopp greater options up front with Daniel Sturridge not being able to be relied upon consistently n terms of fitness.
Boasting a goalscoring record of 34 strikes in 68 Serie A appearances for the Nerazzuri since signing back in 2013, Icardi’s prowess in front of goal is clear for everybody to see so perhaps he’s a striker worth splashing a handsome fee upon in next summer’s window.
