Two bids from Nottingham Forest and Fulham have been received and are worth between £12M-£15M which would “satisfy Liverpool.”
While Ramsay may be joining, it’s disappointing to see Williams leave given the potential he has but he just hasn’t been able to make it work at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp has always gushed about the fullback and labelled him a “machine” last year.
“Neco from the first day he trained with us, he trained like a machine,” Klopp said.
“Every day he became better and better and better and I thought, ‘OK, what’s that?!’
“Unfortunately then, in the moment he started playing for us, I saw it, he got a little physical knock, like it was always really intense all of the time. But then he had to play.”
It it wasn’t for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Williams would no doubt have made a bigger impact in the last couple of years.
On loan with Fulham last season, he scored two goals and assisted five.
Jose Enrique has advised his formed side to bring Christian Eriksen to Anfield this summer to solve Liverpool’s midfield dilemma.
Do Liverpool need a playmaker?
Or a box-to-box powerhouse?
Maybe a technical genius like Thiago?
What about a workhorse similar to Jordan Henderson?
A play breaker like Fabinho?
After a move to sign Aurelien Tchouameni fell through when the Frenchman joined Real Madrid, fans have been speculating about what Jurgen Klopp really needs in the middle of the park.
What I believe is indisputable is that Liverpool need a midfielder.
Why do Liverpool need a new midfielder?
Regardless of what anyone thinks that player should be able to contribute, Klopp definitely needs a new central midfielder.
Last season was simply amazing and while it was very disappointing to see such incredible Premier League and Champions League campaigns end the way they did, it was still a remarkable season.
However, two things ruined Liverpool’s league title hopes.
A lack of clinical finishing before and during the festive period.
And a lack of control in midfield while Thiago was injured in the early parts of the season.
Without the Spaniard, Liverpool really struggled to stamp their authority on games and were often bypassed in the centre of the pitch.
Jurgen Klopp prefers his side to control the game these days as opposed to the gung-ho approach he took in the early days of his Anfield reign.
I do miss the heavy metal football Liverpool used to rock in the Premier League but with the Reds advancing beyond their simple high pressing, counter-attacking style, the need for patient, technical players has increased.
Thiago showed this in the second half of the season with his technical excellence elevating Liverpool into the title race despite being 14 points behind at one stage.
So, does Christian Eriksen solve Liverpool’s midfield dilemma?
Here’s what he had to say: “Another interesting player that could be our solution to our midfield. And spending nothing because he is a free agent.
“He is a short-term solution but then we can wait for Bellingham next season – He will play if he deserves to play like everyone else. Eriksen is a top player and I believe he can compete for a starting spot in our XI. The season is very long.
“He is that kind of player, like Thiago, but maybe a little bit more offensive. But Thiago is our magician.”
The Danish Brentford midfielder would be a fine player to have in the middle of the park and is more than capable of unlocking a defence.
In his 237 Premier League appearances, Eriksen has 52 goals and 66 assists.
Liverpool expect Takumi Minamino to follow Sadio Mane out the Anfield exit door this summer, according to Paul Joyce.
In an article discussing Mane’s move to Bayern Munich and the next steps for Liverpool, the Times journalist included a footnote on Minamino’s future.
It read: “In addition to the departure of Mané, Liverpool also expect Takumi Minamino to leave with Monaco and Lyon interested.”
The Japan international scored 10 goals for the Reds this season.
He also got one assist but it was his clinical finishing that impressed so much.
Despite playing just 1008 minutes for Jurgen Klopp, he averaged a goal or an assist every 91 minutes.
Essentially, Minamino scored a goal for every full game of football he played.
The former RB Salzburg star was crucial in both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup trophy wins and will leave Anfieldwith his head held high.
It was unfortunate that he was competing with the very best forwards in Europe for a starting role otherwise he may have had a longer career with Liverpool.
Selling him isn’t actually in our best interest as he is so good for rotation in the cup tournaments and he even scored a crucial goal against Southampton to help take the Premier League title race to the final day of the season.
Yet, just like Divock Origi, you can’t keep squad players happy forever even if they’re winning silverware.
At 27, Minamino simply has to be playing as much as possible to make the most of his career and I wish him all the best.
Their first bid was worth a total of £25M. It was promptly dismissed.
Their second offer was almost worse than the first. It was worth a total of £30M but included £6.5M in add-ons.
How were the add-ons structured?
Mane would have needed to win the Bundesliga three years in a row. Not entirely unrealistic, is it? The Germans have won the Bundesliga for the last 10 years in a row.
What was ridiculous was Bayern including a clause that stipulated for further bonus fees to be paid to Liverpool, Mane would also need to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
That is nuts.
Yet despite, that absurd offer, Liverpool are “seemingly prepared” to meet with Hasan Salihamidzic – Bayern’s sporting director.
According to Joyce, this “indicates a willingness to proceed with matters.”
How much do Liverpool want to sell Mane?
Liverpool are demanding a fee worth around £42.5M and although Mane has just one year left on his contract, he is worth more than that in my eyes.
Since joining the club, Mane has scored 120 goals and assisted 48.
The former Southampton star has also won six major trophies.
Ramsay joining Liverpool might not excite many fans and that’s understandable as it’s obvious he’s being signed as a squad option.
That said, given how much Kostas Tsimikas achieved last season and how fun he was to watch, supporters should get a bit more excited about Ramsay.
Aberdeen legend Phil McGuire told the Daily Record that it’s clear to see why Liverpool want him.
“Calvin’s done exceptionally well and you can see why Liverpool want him,” McGuire said.
“He has been in a good club for his development and to keep him grounded, which is clear to see.
“There is no doubt Liverpool would be a great opportunity for him.”
Liverpool have done brilliantly this summer, getting all three of their signings in before pre-season is even close to starting.
This gives them the best chance of hitting the ground running although I’m sure Ramsay (18) and Fabio Carvalho (19) will be given more time to adapt given their ages.
Darwin Nunez, however, will likely be under more pressure to perform due to his huge price tag but Jurgen Klopp is famous for giving his new signings time to adjust.
It’s possible that Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah start against Fulham on the opening day of the season.
But Nunez strikes me as the type of player that won’t need much time to get used to Liverpool’s tactical demands.
James Pearce reports that Mohamed Salah’s contract extension is Liverpool’s next priority after signing Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan is expected to star alongside Salah in the new Premier League season after a €100M deal was struck to bring him to Anfield.
While it’s heartbreaking to see an era come to an end with Sadio Mane set to leave the club, a new one is set to begin.
And Liverpool want to ensure it doesn’t end a year from now due to a Mo Salah free-agent exit with his contract set to expire at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Mohamed Salah’s contract extension is now Liverpool’s priority
After signing Darwin Nunez, Liverpool are prioritising reaching an agreement over Mohamed Salah’s contract extension.
The Egyptian once again broke the 30-goal mark for the Reds last season and also provided 16 assists, having a hand in a total of 47 goals for Liverpool.
The offer that Liverpool made was around the £258,000 per week mark.
Just 15 per cent more than his current wage.
Completing Salah’s contract extension would be a signal of intent
After signing Darwin Nunez for €100M, completing Salah’s contract extension would be a signal of intent to Liverpool’s rivals.
It’s not going to be cheap but unless Liverpool have their eye on a young player that Jurgen Klopp can take to new heights, keeping Salah is non-negotiable.
The Egyptian may have had a disappointing second half to the 2021/22 season but he still scored and assisted a total of 47 goals.
Had he been able to keep his goalscoring form going following AFCON, the numbers he would have achieved would have been truly terrifying.
Darwin Nunez told Liverpool after completing his move to Anfield that he will give Luis Suarez a call after following in his compatriot’s footsteps.
The 22-year-old signed a six-year deal to seal the switch from Benfica, earning his former club a potential €100million fee.
He scored 34 goals last season for the Portuguese side and Liverpool have now snapped him up to reinforce their attacking ranks.
Sadio Mane is set to take his leave, bringing an end to an amazing 6-year career with the Reds. In his time at the club, he won everything there was to win.
His replacement, Nunez, is now ready to follow in Luis Suarez’s footsteps and become the latest forward to play for Liverpool.
Darwin Nunez says he will call Luis Suarez
When asked if he had yet had the chance to speak to Suarez about joining Liverpool, Nunez replied: “No, not yet, I’ve not had a chance to be in touch with him just yet.
“But I’m sure when everything comes out on social media, I’ll give him a call or I’ll send him a photo that I’ve taken where he’s there in the background in a picture.
“I’ll send that to him and we’ll have a bit of a chat and I’ll ask him lots of questions so he can offer his support and help because he’s a real reference to me because he’s a Uruguayan footballer who made history at Liverpool.
“But, for sure, I’ll get the opportunity soon to call him and have a chat with him.”
Liverpool are on ‘standby’ after submitting a massive bid for Jude Bellingham as the Reds consider another mega-money move.
Spanish outlet Cadena Ser sent Liverpool fans online into a frenzy on Wednesday with a report stating that a €100million bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham has been submitted.
Liverpool have just signed Darwin Nunez for the same fee which makes signing Bellingham this summer extremely difficult but the Echo claims the Reds are watching his situation closely.
Ian Doyle reports: “Liverpool showed their hand somewhat with interest in Aurelien Tchouameni before it became clear the midfielder was intent on completing a move to Real Madrid.
“Upgrading the engine room will now become a priority, with Klopp a huge fan of Jude Bellingham.
“Any move for the Borussia Dortmund teenager will most likely have to wait until next year, although the Reds recruitment team will be on standby to react should there be any further developments.”
Liverpool could make this summer their greatest every transfer window if they sign Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez, Calvin Ramsay and Jude Bellingham.
Each player addresses a specific weakness in the squad and would leave Klopp with a nearly perfect group of players to choose from.
Adding Bellingham, however, would address the biggest issue that Klopp faced before Christmas last season; his lack of midfield depth and quality cost the Reds in the Premier League title race.
Draws against the likes of Brighton and Brentford were caused by a lack of control in the engine room while Thiago Alcantara was injured.
Naby Keita left the pitch with an injury during the 2-2 draw with Brighton with Liverpool conceding twice after he was substituted.
If Klopp had 18-year-old Jude Bellingham in the squad, it would give him the required strength in depth to compete with Manchester City, who are also trying to add Kalvin Phillips to their ranks.
Paying €100million to sign Nunez and then following that up by paying €100million for Bellingham is quite unrealistic but we can dream.
Hopefully, Borussia Dortmund have a change of mind and make Bellingham available for transfer this summer so Liverpool can swoop in.
A Liverpool move to sign Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt is gaining momentum, according to reports, with the Dutchman ready to sign for £200,000 per week.
The Reds mean business this summer. This has been evidenced by their €100M club-record deal to sign Darwin Nunez.
Could Liverpool sign de Ligt this summer?
However, the chances of the Reds following that up by triggering de Ligt’s €125 M (£106M) release clause are remote given the depth in that position available to Jurgen Klopp.
The German manager is able to call on four of the finest central defenders in the world and there isn’t another team able to match Liverpool’s strength in depth in that area of the pitch.
Virgil van Dijk, the best defender in the world, has the likes of Joel Matip, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez alongside him.
The four centre-backs give Klopp peace of mind after the injury-fraught nightmare that was the 2020/2021 season.
Liverpool “approach” for de Ligt “should not be overlooked”
In May, Calciomercato claimed Liverpool were in the process of weighing up a move for de Ligt, whose current deal includes a release clause worth £106M.
After signing Darwin Nunez for around £85M, paying that kind of fee would again smash Liverpool’s club-record transfer fee.
Calciomercato again report on de Ligt’s future with an update on his contract situation, saying the defender is unhappy at Juventus after finishing fourth in Serie A for two seasons in a row.
Watching both Milan clubs romp to league titles has left de Ligt feeling “dissatisfied” and he wants his release clause reduced to €80M (£68M).
The report states that Chelsea have been interested in de Ligt “for a long time” but significantly adds that the “approach of Liverpool should not be overlooked.”
Julian Ward appears to have played an ingenious move during negotiations to sign Darwin Nunez which will allow Liverpool to complete another marquee signing.
Liverpool have operated with authority and speed rarely seen in the transfer window.
It’s now feasible that the Reds could complete all their incomings by the start of pre-season which would give Jurgen Klopp the best chance of getting his squad fully ready for the 2022/23 season.
One signing that is hugely unlikely to be completed this summer is a mega-money move for Jude Bellingham but Julian Ward may have played his cards brilliantly to make a move possible.
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool reached an agreement with Benfica that means they are only required to pay £47 million this summer.
After a deal was agreed for a fee worth a total of £85million, the Reds also negotiated to ensure they pay just over half the fee up front and the rest later.
This means that, assuming all the performance-related add-ons are triggered, £38million needs to be paid in the future for Darwin Nunez.
However, by ensuring that Liverpool aren’t blowing their whole transfer budget this summer, a deal to sign Jude Bellingham is possible if Borussia Dortmund make him available.
Cadena Ser reportsthat Liverpool have already made a €100million bid for the midfielder.
According to the Liverpool Echo, it has become a priority for Jurgen Klopp to upgrade his engine room this summer.
Although a move for Jude Bellingham may need to wait until next summer, “the Reds recruitment team will be on standby to react should there be any further developments,” Ian Doyle reports for the Echo.
