In Tuesday’s Liverpool Roundup, Marko Grujic and Taiwo Awoniyi left the club, Naby Keita earns praise from Pep Lijnders and talks are opened with Doku.
Homegrown quota holding Liverpool back
The real reason for Liverpool’s delay on making new signings has nothing to do with the availability of funds, according to David Lynch.
Speaking on the Blood Red Podcast, David Lynch has suggested that the real reason for Liverpool stalling on making their next signing has nothing to do with lack of funds.
It’s reassuring to hear from a journalist with close ties to the club that Liverpool are not broke and it does mean that things could move quite quickly if Michael Edwards is able to fast track exits for two or three players.
The Reds have a verbal agreement with Donyell Malen over personal terms and if they can sell a player to make room for him in the squad, we could soon see him move to Anfield.
Taiwo Awoniyi joins Union Berlin for £6.5m
In many ways, I feel very sorry for the Nigerian as he hasn’t had the chance to make his mark at Anfield and despite finally earning a UK work permit, he has been sold to Berlin.
He joined the Reds in 2015 for around £400,000 but has spent his entire career with the club on loan ever since and now looks set to depart permanently.
The 23-year-old has since spent time on loan at FSV Frankfurt, NEC, Gent, Mouscron, Mainz and finally Union Berlin. During his loan exodus, he scored 39 goals and assisted 17.
Liverpool sell Marko Grujic to Porto
Marko Grujic has moved to Porto after a £10.5m fee was agreed and Fabrizio Romano has provided clarification over whether or not it’s a loan or a permanent deal.
The news broke this morning and is now official after a fee was agreed between the two clubs.
Porto suggest on their website that the deal with Liverpool is a loan with an obligation to buy while the Reds announcement says it’s permanent, Fabrizio Romano suggests it’s a unique blend of the two.
No advanced talks to sign Renato Sanches
Romano says that there are currently no advanced talks with any club to sign Renato Sanches while Barcelona have rejected the chance to sign him.
On Monday, we covered comments from Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo, who said that Sanches’ wage demands would be too high given his likely squad role at Anfield.
It was claimed by Portuguese reporter Paulo Almeida at the start of the month that Liverpool had sealed a deal to sign Sanches from Lille worth €35m.
Pep Lijnders blown away by Naby Keita
Naby Keita will be handed fresh Liverpool terms as his contract with the club is set to expire in 2023 as he approaches full fitness.
Writing in his training camp diary for the club’s official website, assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders provided insight into Naby Keita’s amazing technical ability.
According to Goal’s Neil Jones, with Keita’s terms set to expire in 2023, the club is ready to offer him a new contract.
Doku could choose Arsenal over Liverpool
Liverpool have kept their relationship with Doku alive after he visited Melwood in 2018 but they could miss out to Arsenal.
While nothing concrete is close to being agreed and likely won’t be until next summer due to the player’s age and contract situation, Arsenal have ‘wowed’ him with their vision for the future.
The Athletic reports Mane will be offered a lucrative offer to stay at the club but Doku is believed to be a player that can develop into his successor.
Liverpool can now afford to sign €30m striker
Fabrizio Romano says that Borussia Dortmund are in talks with Mino Raiola for Donyell Malen after saying that Liverpool are as well.
This morning, Neil Jones reported that Liverpool are looking to recoup a combined total of £17million and both have left the Reds’ pre-season training camp to complete medicals.
Now, with Awoniyi, having joined Union Berlin and Grujic, having joined Porto, Michael Edwards may well be given the green light to make PSV Eindhoven an offer for Donyell Malen.
