{"id":989,"date":"2017-08-07T17:39:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-07T17:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=989"},"modified":"2017-08-07T17:39:18","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T17:39:18","slug":"liverpool-football-club-transfer-rumour-round-up-august-7th-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-football-club-transfer-rumour-round-up-august-7th-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool Football Club Transfer Rumour Round-Up: August 7th 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Liverpool\u2019s transfer strategy lies in tatters. J\u00fcrgen Klopp went into the summer hoping to sign six or seven players, but we\u2019ve only signed three. Fenway Sports Group deserve to be hounded out of Anfield, such is the disgrace of their handling of the transfer window. Our season is a disaster before a ball has even been kicked, with the squad so weak we\u2019ll be lucky to scrape into the top four. Champions League qualification is already out of the question, such is the strength of Hoffenheim as a team compared to us. Losing to Atletico Madrid in the final of the Audi Cup was proof positive that we\u2019re nowhere near ready for the coming campaign.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-partner=\"tweetdeck\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This transfer window has been pathetic. Even by our standards. &#x1f534; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LFC?src=hash\">#LFC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 James Sutton (@thejamessutton) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thejamessutton\/status\/893878045509070848\">August 5, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Only things aren\u2019t quite like that. It\u2019s probably true that Klopp wanted more players than we\u2019ve currently signed, though I\u2019m not entirely convinced that Dominic Solanke was on his list. Solanke strikes me as an opportunistic signing, with a new left-back, central defender, winger and midfielder the players he was genuinely keen on. Still, the arrivals of Robertson and Salah take care of two of those requirements. There\u2019s also the best part of a month left before the transfer window shuts and I wouldn\u2019t be at all surprised if Virgil van Dijk was a Liverpool player before negotiations are over. Many supporters have the pitchforks out for the owners because there are seemingly no alternatives to the Southampton captain, but surely that\u2019s on Klopp\u2019s head?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_319\" style=\"width: 543px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-319\" class=\"size-large wp-image-319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000422-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000422-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000422-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/P1000422-65x50.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Klopp<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I don\u2019t want to suggest that we don\u2019t need any more signings. I firmly believe that we\u2019ll be able to negotiate Germany\u2019s fourth best team and get into the Champions League. You can\u2019t hope to get into a competition that features the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid but then fear a side that didn\u2019t get into it automatically in a two-horse league. Given the addition of European football, therefore, a stronger squad is vital. Even so, the toys out of the pram approach of some supporters is just plain odd. We could well end up signing Salah, Solanke, Robertson and van Dijk this summer, which wouldn\u2019t be a bad piece of business at all. In fact, it would mean that Keita would be the only one we\u2019d lose out on.<\/p>\n<p>I also think that some supporters are under-estimating the amount of faith Klopp has got in our young players. People are complaining about the lack of depth in the squad, forgetting that the manager will be using Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ovie Ejaria, Ben Woodburn and Joe Gomez on a regular basis. Some supporters might think they\u2019re not good enough but the only opinion that matters is the manager\u2019s and he rates them. Little wonder, then, that the players we\u2019re being linked with are few and far between. Still, I\u2019ve done my best to rake through the tabloids to see what the stories have been over the last week.<\/p>\n<h2>The Runners And Riders Of The Rumour Mill<\/h2>\n<p>The question is, then, what rumours have been in the papers this week? Is it all about those two players or have other names come to the fore?<\/p>\n<h3>The Outs?<\/h3>\n<p>Only two particularly noteworthy rumours of outgoing players that are worth mentioning this week, but given one of them is arguably our best player his name being linked with a move away won\u2019t please many people\u2026<\/p>\n<h4>Alberto Moreno<\/h4>\n<p>The Spaniard has played well during pre-season, lulling some people into a false sense of security over his ability. The former Sevilla defender has always shown patches of ability, but lacks the concentration to be our left-back in the long-term. His speed is an asset that James Milner lacks, but Andrew Robertson seems to have pace combined with a brain. Moreno\u2019s performances have been a boon for the club\u2019s hopes of getting some decent money for him, with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/sport\/football\/837359\/Liverpool-Watford-Alberto-Moreno-Jurgen-Klopp-James-Milner-Marco-Silva-Gossip-Robertson\">Watford the latest club to come in for him<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_290\" style=\"width: 456px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-290\" class=\"size-large wp-image-290\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Alberto-Moreno-446x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"446\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Alberto-Moreno-446x400.jpg 446w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Alberto-Moreno-223x200.jpg 223w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Alberto-Moreno.jpg 1637w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moreno. Dimwit.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s a move that makes some sort of sense. The Hornets are a big side but as a consequence the lack pace, which the Spaniard would give them in abundance. The issue is that the Reds <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/40405695\">reportedly turned down a \u00a315 million bid<\/a> from Napoli for him, but that\u2019s the same amount that we\u2019re meant to be turning down this time around. Given Moreno\u2019s improved form and the fact that we\u2019d be strengthening a rival, I\u2019m not sure this particular rumour has legs. J\u00fcrgen Klopp has suggested that Moreno might well have a stay of execution at Anfield, but I\u2019d be amazed if that actually turned out to be the case given Robertson\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Likelihood Rating: 4\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Philippe Coutinho<\/h4>\n<p>You have to hope that both the manager and the owners are telling the truth when they\u2019re letting it be known that Philippe Coutinho will not be sold this summer. Flush with \u00a3198 million from the sale of Neymar, Barcelona appear to have made the Brazilian their number one target to replace his countryman. He is far too important a player for us to allow him to leave, even before we take into account the fact that any move for Naby Keita seems to be dead. The injury to Adam Lallana that has ruled him out for at least two months means we\u2019ll be light in the middle as it is. Lose Coutinho and we\u2019ll be without our most creative player and have no one to replace him, meaning there might well be protests.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_925\" style=\"width: 543px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-925\" class=\"size-large wp-image-925\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/IMG_3108-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-925\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Coutinho &amp; Klopp On The Side Of The Kop<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s complete guesswork from me, but I think that the Spanish giants are laying the groundwork in order to take the Little Magician to the Nou Camp next summer. That&#8217;s based mostly on stories that he would like to move there but <a href=\"http:\/\/www.skysports.com\/football\/news\/11669\/10978155\/philippe-coutinho-wants-barcelona-move-but-wont-force-liverpool-exit\">has no intention of forcing through a transfer<\/a>. The combination of Klopp\u2019s desire to keep him, Coutinho\u2019s happiness at remaining in Anfield and the fact that the owners don\u2019t need the money all means that I just don\u2019t see him going anywhere just yet. If an arrangement can be made to let him move next summer then perhaps he\u2019ll be settled enough for this campaign and it will suit all parties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Likelihood Rating: 2\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>The Ins?<\/h3>\n<p>For what might well be the first time this summer, I\u2019m not going to talk about Naby Keita. The Guinean doesn\u2019t seem to want to force a move away from RB Leipzig, meaning that any attempts we make to sign him will be pointless. That doesn\u2019t mean that we haven\u2019t been linked with anyone at all, however\u2026<\/p>\n<h4>Virgil van Dijk<\/h4>\n<p>How on earth is this one going to end? It really is up in the air at the moment. Unlike both Philippe Coutinho and Naby Keita, Virgil van Dijk seems very happy indeed to try to force through a move. Not only has the Southampton captain not been training with the rest of the team, he\u2019s also been refusing to even play for them in pre-season friendlies. The likelihood of him still being at St. Mary\u2019s come the end of the transfer window is, in my opinion, zero. Yet will he be at Anfield? My confidence on that front is draining away a little, I have to admit.<\/p>\n<p>My loss of confidence is nothing to do with J\u00fcrgen Klopp\u2019s recent comments about being happy with his defence, which strike me as being little more than a clever comment to the press dropped in to let Saints know that if they want the \u00a370+ million we\u2019re offering they better get a move on in accepting it. Instead I\u2019m concerned that Chelsea appear to have become involved from nowhere and Southampton\u2019s fans are desperate for the club to sell him to anyone but us. They\u2019ve invented a fun little rivalry between the two clubs that Liverpool supporters clearly don&#8217;t care about, but that they\u2019re really bothered by. You can\u2019t blame them, I suppose. We\u2019ve taken Adam Lallana, Nathanial Clyne, Dejan Lovren and Sadio Man\u00e9 from them, to say nothing of crowd favourite Rickie Lambert.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that van Dijk has today <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/virgil-van-dijk-breaks-silence-10946785\">handed in a transfer request<\/a> might mean that Saints have no choice. Mauricio Pellegrino wants the situation resolved as soon as possible now and \u00a370 million or so is a decent kitty that he can use to replace the central defender. Will one of the longest transfer sagas of the summer finally come to an end in the coming days? I hope so. Crucially, though, I hope he ends up at Anfield rather than Stamford Bridge. I can only imagine the fume from certain sections of the Liverpool fan base if he signs for someone else, given how long we\u2019ve been wooing him for and how desperately we need to improve our defence\u2026<\/p>\n<p><strong>Likelihood Rating: 9\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Hakim Ziyech<\/h4>\n<p>Not a name I\u2019m particularly familiar with, though I\u2019m sure there\u2019ll be a host of Liverpool fans who declare themselves to be experts in him within a day or so, having watched hundreds of YouTube videos of him playing for Ajax. Those same fans will then be furious if we don\u2019t sign him, hash tagging \u2018FSGOUT\u2019 all over the place, regardless of the fact that it\u2019s probably a made up link in the first place. Whether the interest is true or not isn\u2019t really the point, of course, as all what I\u2019m doing here is keeping you abreast of the different rumours doing the rounds.<\/p>\n<p>For clarification, then, Hakim Ziyech is a twenty-four year old striker for Ajax who likes to play through the middle or out wide. He\u2019s a dead ball specialist who managed to rack up twenty assists and twelve goals for his club in all competitions last season. The rumours are linking him <a href=\"http:\/\/lionsdelatlas.ma\/20582-les-reds-de-liverpool-veulent-hakim-ziyech-des-cet-ete\">with us as a Coutinho replacement<\/a>, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s likely for the reasons I mentioned above. He could easily be brought in as an understudy to Salah and Man\u00e9, however, and his profile certainly seems to fit in with the FSG\/Klopp philosophy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Likelihood Rating: 1\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Benjamin Andre<\/h4>\n<p>A story I think does have a bit more likelihood to it is the one linking us to Benjamin Andre. The twenty-seven-year-old currently plays for Rennes in France and the rumours suggest that we\u2019ve been scouting him for some time. We\u2019re apparently <a href=\"http:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/sport\/football\/836888\/Liverpool-transfer-news-Benjamin-Andre-Rennes-midfielder-latest-football-gossip\">readying a bid of over \u00a315 million<\/a> for the Frenchman, having earmarked him as a replacement for Lucas Leiva. I would suggest that it\u2019s more likely that we\u2019ve introduced his name to the mix in order to give RB Leipzig a polite reminder that Naby Keita isn\u2019t the only midfielder in the world, just in case they\u2019re only posturing over their refusal to sell.<\/p>\n<p>The reason that I think this rumour might have legs is that we definitely need another body in the middle of the park, with Lucas\u2019s sale to Lazio and Kevin Stewart\u2019s departure to Hull City both meaning the squad is light in that area before we even talk of Lallana\u2019s injury. The reason I\u2019m sceptical, however, is that he signed a new deal in June that will keep at the French club for another five years. He also seems to be happy enough at the club, declaring that he\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/sport\/football\/837429\/Benjamin-Andre-Liverpool-Rennes-15m-Transfer-News-Rumours-Gossip\">\u2019happy to be part of a project\u2019<\/a>. I still think we might see another midfielder arrive at some point, but I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll be the one.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>The van Dijk transfer request is the most interesting move of the week, without question. I\u2019m hoping that it comes to an end one way or another in the next few days, but will it be to the benefit of the Reds?<\/p>\n<p>Until next week\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Liverpool\u2019s transfer strategy lies in tatters. J\u00fcrgen Klopp went into the summer hoping to sign six or seven players, but we\u2019ve only signed three. Fenway Sports Group deserve to be hounded out of Anfield, such is the disgrace of their handling of the transfer window. Our season is a disaster before a ball has even been kicked, with the squad so weak we\u2019ll be lucky to scrape into the top four. Champions League qualification is already out of the question, such is the strength of Hoffenheim as a team compared to us. Losing to Atletico Madrid in the final of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=989"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":990,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989\/revisions\/990"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}