Starting their Premier League season in perfect style courtesy of a late 1-0 victory away at a tough venue in Stoke City last weekend, our Reds contingent here in the Football Transfer Tavern are absolutely delighted.
Not the easiest game to watch on the eye, our Kopites don’t care how the victory came having watched all of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham drop points on the opening weekend.
When you cast your mind back to the Liverpool team that lost 6-1 to the Potters on the final day of last season, a hell of a lot of change has occurred since then with the Reds swooping to sign a plethora of new players in an attempt to break back into the Premier League’s top four.
One of those men was Christian Benteke and although he didn’t score on his professional debut for the Reds, many Liverpool supporters are expecting him to step up when required this term.
With Liverpool having been busier than most this summer, you’d imagine that they’re now close to completing their summer transfer business with potentially just one more signing arriving before the close of the window on September 1st.
With Jose Enrique having been banished from first team training alongside Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini, the Reds may potentially require a back-up to Alberto Moreno at left back but aside from that, the Reds’ bench looked strong at the weekend and strength in depth is something all Liverpool fans are happy about.
Today, we’ve devised an eleven made up of some of the Reds’ summer transfer targets that they either failed to acquire or are still being linked with.
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Click on the image below to reveal the ultimate Liverpool transfer linked XI.
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Neto
No not the budget UK food store but rather Fiorentina’s Brazilian goalkeeper who ended up joining Serie A champions Juventus to be Gianluigi Buffon’s understudy this summer.
Prior to moving to Turin, Liverpool were intensely linked with Neto’s signature with the Merseyside club having been rumoured to be signing him since the tail end of last season, let alone the summer.
Eventually concluding a deal to land Adam Bogdan from Bolton Wanderers as competition for Simon Mignolet, Liverpool fans were always hoping Neto would’ve done better than their last Brazilian flop of a goalkeeper.
Remember Doni Liverpool fans?
Davide Zappacosta
Eventually managing to tap into their new found transfer relationship with Southampton to poach Nathaniel Clyne for £12.5 million this summer, prior to this the Reds were linked with an Italian alternative.
No not Matteo Darmian who Manchester United selected as their Clyne alternative but rather Davide Zappacosta of Atalanta who The Express claimed Liverpool were favourites to sign back in June.
Since transferring to Torino for around 10 million euros as Darmian’s eventual replacement, Zappacosta played against Gareth Southgate’s England side at the European Under-21 Championships this summer.
Sadly for both the young Three Lions and the Italians, both were eliminated from the group stage.
Toby Alderweireld
As the image above shows, Toby Alderweireld has now made his professional debut for Tottenham having completed a deal from Atletico Madrid this summer.
Enjoying a fantastic season-long loan spell at Southampton last season, the Saints were keen to grab him again this summer but the Belgian ended up plumping for Spurs while Ronald Koeman’s men continue to trail after Virgil van Dijk’s signature.
Elsewhere, Liverpool were also credited with an interest in Alderweireld by Metro among other publications and given the former Ajax man’s versatility, he was an appealing option in the eyes of Reds fans this summer.
Especially considering Kolo Toure and Dejan Lovren aren’t ever too far from making their next error!
Simon Kjaer
While Brendan Rodgers openly claimed he wasn’t looking to address his centre back options this summer, this didn’t stop several reports claiming that Liverpool were interested in landing Lille’s Simon Kjaer.
A Danish international and centre back partner of former Reds star Daniel Agger, Kjaer is an experienced customer who has played all around Europe but now his adventures have taken him to Fenerbahce who completed a deal for him this summer instead of the Reds.
In quotes that Liverpool fans won’t like reading, Kjaer claimed: “Liverpool wanted me, but I want championships, I want to win trophies.
“Fenerbahce’s goals this season are big, and it was explained to me very well.”
Lucas Digne
Amidst what look like premature reports linking Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno with a summer switch to Barcelona, the Reds were reportedly lining up Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Digne as his replacement.
However as reported by Sky Sports, at the end of July Digne’s agent had claimed the French international hasn’t held talks with Liverpool regarding a transfer.
Often finding himself usurped by Maxwell as Laurent Blanc’s first choice left back in the past, Digne isn’t used every week and understandably, thw 22-year-old would like to be playing regularly at this stage in his career.
If the truth be told however, there doesn’t seem to be much more basis behind this rumour than that fact alone.
Jeremy Menez
A player who has seemingly been around forever yet somebody who has never really cut it at the very highest level, either for a club side or at international level for France, Jeremy Menez is still considered a talented footballer.
Formerly of Paris Saint-Germain but now at fallen Serie A giants AC Milan, Metro claimed Liverpool were actually in talks with Menez back in mid-July amidst rumours of a £10.5 million deal being done.
Eventually moving to secure the future of Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim of course, Menez doesn’t look like he’ll be rocking up at Anfield any time soon despite the Reds having been linked with more wingers since Firmino’s arrival.
Mateo Kovacic
Back nearer the start of the summer transfer window, it did look as if Liverpool were pinning all of their hopes on landing Inter Milan’s Mateo Kovacic who was rated at around the £20 million + mark.
At the end of June, The Express reported how Inter were requesting £21 million from the Reds for the Croatian international’s signature but as the weeks rolled on, Liverpool’s interest in Kovacic wavered as Roberto Mancini’s men held firm.
Having signed James Milner of course, not to mention boasting Lucas Leiva, Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen and Emre Can as other central midfield options, we think Liverpool can get away without landing somebody like Kovacic.
Asier Illarramendi
Asier Illarramendi could still potentially become a Liverpool player this summer with Metro having claimed the Reds made a £13.9 million bid for the Real Madrid defensive midfielder back in July.
Clearly looking like he’s surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu with Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Lucas Silva performing in his position, Illarramendi remains uncapped for Spain yet is still a talented player in his own right.
Highly rated at his first club Real Sociedad, Illarramendi needs to kick-start his career and at a club like Liverpool, he’d find starting chances much easier to come by.
With Lucas Leiva’s future far from certain to boot, perhaps Illarramendi could yet arrive as a like-for-like replacement late in the window.
Denis Cheryshev
Of late, Liverpool fans have been used to their club being linked with young wingers hailing from La Liga.
Last week, there were premature reports that Liverpool were set to sign Barcelona’s Adama Traore but with the player having joined Aston Villa today, Reds supporters remain keen to see what the future holds for the other in Real Madrid’s Russian international winger Denis Cheryshev.
Yet to receive his big breakthrough at the Bernabeu but receiving a first team squad number (21) this term, Cheryshev did enough on loan at Villarreal last term to merit Liverpool’s interest in him.
The very latest from the Liverpool Echo however is that Arsenal are interested in rivalling the Reds for his signature.
Alexandre Lacazette
If you’re a Liverpool or Arsenal fan, you’ll know the name Alexandre Lacazette more than most now given the incessant links between the French international and the two English clubs this summer.
Now seemingly set to remain at Lyon for one more season ahead of Euro 2016, earlier in the transfer window Liverpool were described as being on red alert with Lacazette’s contract talks having stalled at the Stade Gerland.
Since then, Lacazette moved to reassure Lyon fans by claiming he’s happy at the Ligue 1 club in and around the team’s participation in the Emirates Cup.
A fantastic up-and-coming striker who has been described as the French Harry Kane given the similarities in their breakthrough campaigns last term, whoever ends up eventually landing Lacazette will be a lucky club.
Gonzalo Higuain
One day, Gonzalo Higuain will rock up in the Premier League won’t he?
Having flirted with Premier League interest for a few transfer windows now, Higuain is currently in limbo with his agent / brother having recently claimed that Napoli’s offer of a contract extension was derisory in every sense.
Previously a dream signing for the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, Higuain’s stock has taken a hit in the last 18 months with the striker having spurned key chances in both the World Cup and Copa America Finals in which Argentina have gone on to lose.
Despite these woes, Higuain is still a lethal marksman at club level and back in June, Metro claimed the player was ready to snub rival offers to sign for Liverpool.
Seemingly unfounded, Higuain remains at Napoli but could yet move away from the Stadio San Paolo for a large fee in the next few weeks.
