Latest news with #RichardHughes
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Gomez injury triggers NEW centre-back offer
is OUT of Liverpool's 2025/26 preseason tour. The 28-year-old has flown home - taking no part in the Reds' Hong Kong fixture against AC Milan over the weekend. England international Gomez is suffering an achilles injury and will work on his recovery back on Merseyside. The loss of Gomez leaves Liverpool looking extremely light at centre-back. LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now Of course there is no issue with their two most senior options Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. That said, some cover for Konate would be welcome considering he is out of contract in 2026 and has had injury trouble of his own over the last few seasons. Ryan Gravenberch, Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson have all filled in at centre-back over the course of this preseason with Jarell Quansah having been sold to Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool's centre-back issues It was expected that the Reds would move for an option in the position in this transfer window - with Jorrel Hato and Joel Ordonez among the players linked. But sporting director Richard Hughes has deployed his resources elsewhere so far this summer - spending £260m on an array of new signings including Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz among others. However as a result of Gomez's injury, Liverpool's potential issues at centre-back have been put into focus. It would not be ideal heading into the season with ONLY Van Dijk and Konate as senior fit options - and a new face would ideally arrive. Liverpool back in for Marc Guehi And according to a new report in Football Insider, the Reds are going to step up their pursuit of Marc Guehi before the transfer window ends. Guehi, 25, emerged on the radar a few weeks ago - around the time Quansah's £30m+ deal to Leverkusen was sealed. The trail has gone cold in all honesty since then - with Guehi out of contract in 2026 and Crystal Palace determined not to lose him for nothing. 'Liverpool are still working in the background to land a deal for Guehi and are expected to make a fresh approach to Palace in the coming weeks,' the report states. © IMAGO - Marc Guehi Liverpool Will Palace cash in on Guehi? Palace declined to sell Guehi to Tottenham back in January when the north London club offered around £70m. It would take much less than that to land the England international this summer - having entered the final 12 months of his contract. Liverpool have been delivered a warning over their centre-back options this summer with Gomez's injury. He could not stay fit during the second half of last season either - meaning their need for cover was already known. It's time to step up business in the centre of defence - otherwise Liverpool risk relying on makeshift solutions when the season begins.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool forward CONVINCED Richard Hughes to sell Luis Diaz
Liverpool will soon wrap up a €75m deal which sees Luis Diaz join Bayern Munich. The Colombia winger, 28, joined the Reds back in 2022 for an initial fee of £37.5m (€45m) and his signing has largely been a success. Diaz has won all the major honours in the domestic game - contributing 13 goals en route to the Premier League title last season. LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now Arne Slot opted to use the forward in two different positions during the title-winning campaign - wide on the left as well as in a false 9 role. But with two years left on his contract - and no prospect of a renewal - the time has come for a parting of the ways. Sporting director Richard Hughes has done great business - effectively doubling Liverpool's money on Diaz. Liverpool well-covered on left wing It had been speculated that the Reds could go into the market for a direct replacement - with Rodrygo among the options mentioned. However, according to a new report from James Pearce in the Athletic it appears Liverpool will instead spend the Diaz fee on ANOTHER target - most probably Alexander Isak. That's because the club believe that the current options they possess on the left are sufficient with Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz all capable of filling in. And the emergence of , meanwhile, may be the key factor in the Anfield club declining the opportunity to sign a left winger. Ngumoha a factor in Diaz decision 'Liverpool believe they have sufficient left-sided cover already in place," the report reads. 'Cody Gakpo, who scored 18 goals in all competitions last season, is expected to kick on and play an even bigger part. 'New signing Hugo Ekitike can operate off that flank as well as through the middle, while the emergence of Rio Ngumoha is another factor. 'It would be wrong to expect too much from Nguhoma given he doesn't even turn 17 for another month, but he's a massive talent. 'He has lit up pre-season and you don't want to block his pathway.' © IMAGO - Rio Ngumoha Liverpool
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Midfielder drops MASSIVE Liverpool transfer hint
Liverpool have got decisions to make over several of their fringe players heading into the new season. The likes of Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott are looking over their shoulders as the club set about clawing some money back in sales. The Reds have spent over £260m so far this summer - on Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili - and there could be even more to come. LFC Kits Shop Now LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now Alexander Isak remains the club's transfer focus - and we could also see a centre-back arrive amid plenty of uncertainty in the position. It means sales are inevitable. Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez should command the biggest fees with €75m coming Liverpool's way from Bayern Munich and Nunez attracting attention from Saudi Arabia. Frustrating season for Tyler Morton The aforementioned Chiesa and Elliott should also help finance the summer business and sporting director Richard Hughes could ALSO cash in on . The 22-year-old has enjoyed a great summer thus far - winning the UEFA Euro under-21 title alongside Elliott - and has been taken on tour with the first team to Asia. Last season was a frustrating one for the homegrown midfielder, who was expected to make the breakthrough following a successful loan spell at Hull City in 2023/24. Liverpool declined bids from the Bundesliga as well as the Championship for Morton but he found game time at a premium under Arne Slot. LFC want £15m for Morton Morton did not feature at all in the Premier League - making sporadic appearances in other competitions - and faced significant injury disruption during the second half of the season. Given his lack of action it has been reasoned that Morton could be up for sale this summer. Liverpool are hopeful of making around £15m on Morton, who is out of contract in 2026. West Ham are among the teams linked with his signature and the player admits that gaining minutes is the FOREMOST priority he has got ahead of the new season.
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Liverpool transfer news: Alexander Isak, Rodrygo, Jean-Philippe Mateta and more
Liverpool are bracing for a busy summer to build on this season's Premier League title success. Arne Slot orchestrated a stunning debut campaign at Anfield, inheriting a stacked squad from Jurgen Klopp before taking English football by storm to seal a record-equalling 20th top-flight crown for the club. Mohamed Salah was the posterboy of Slot's title winners, with an eye-watering 46 goal contributions in 37 games taking the Reds out of reach at the top of the table. However, it was in midfield where Liverpool surprised most, with Slot refining a midfield trio brought in by his predecessor and making each one of them an invaluable entity. His transformation of Ryan Gravenberch from a promising yet raw talent to a world-class defensive midfielder was most astounding. The summer months of 2024 hardly shaped the season that followed for Liverpool, and Slot has already proven that he doesn't require overwhelming transfer activity to be successful. Last summer, he saw just two arrivals come through the door in the form of Giorgi Mamardashvili (who was immediately loaned back to Valencia) and Federico Chiesa, who played a total of just 104 minutes in the Premier League. But with Trent Alexander-Arnold heading for the exit and a Premier League title to defend, Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards are expected to engage in a substantial recruitment drive over the coming months. And the signs are extremely promising for Reds fans, with Jeremy Frimpong having signed from Bayer Leverkusen before Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike followed through the door. Arrivals & areas to improve As tends to happen with champions, Liverpool are position-for-position the strongest team in the Premier League. But that is not to say they don't have room for improvement. In goal, the Reds have added Giorgi Mamardashvili to create probably the best starting and backup goalkeeping duo in the league. Their first priority would have been to address weaknesses - or vacancies - in the full-back roles. Right-back and local lad Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid following the expiry of his contract, though it looks like Liverpool have already found their replacement in the form of Frimpong. At left-back, Scottish stalwart Andy Robertson has looked shaky and could be set for a drop down the pecking order, while deputy Kostas Tsimikas could also be on the chopping block. A younger, Premier League-proven replacement has arrived in the form of Milos Kerkez, who joined in a deal worth £40m from Bournemouth and arrives to solve the issues at left-back. Further depth in midfield and defence could be required if Slot is to successfully defend his title, and while Marc Guehi has been linked to a move to the champions, links to midfielders have been rare so far throughout the window. The futures of Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott and more recently Luis Diaz have been up in the air, which could lead to Liverpool investing in more forward-thinking options this summer. Alexander Isak is said to be the dream striker signing at Anfield after Ekitike completed his arrival. Done deals Ins: Florian Wirtz (Bayern Leverkusen, £100m), Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt, £79m), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth, £40m), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, £29.5m), Amin Pesci (Puskas AFC, £1.5m), Freddie Woodman (Preston North End, free transfer) Outs: Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen, £35m), Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford, £18m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid, £10m), Nat Phillips (West Brom, £3m), Vitezslav Jaros (Ajax, loan transfer), Harvey Davies (Crawley Town, loan transfer) Potential targets Alexander Isak, Newcastle With much of the rest of the squad seemingly in top shape ahead of 2025/26, Liverpool continue to be linked with one man. Alexander Isak has been touted as the club's 'dream' target, and while a move initially looked unlikely, the Swede has now expressed his desire to move away from Newcastle. Liverpool are about to sanction the £65m sale of Luis Diaz to help fund a monster bid for the striker, expected imminently. Isak has transformed into one of the best strikers in world football in recent months, and his signature would certainly make Liverpool favourites for back-to-back league titles (and probably a European Cup to add to it). Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace Liverpool have been linked with a move for Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta in recent days, with French media reporting that the Reds have met with the player's reps in Paris. The Frenchman has impressed for the Eagles in recent months and could be a smart addition with the London club having set his using price around £35m, though it is assumed that he would not be targeted as a starting striker ahead of the Reds' impending title defence. Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace With Jarell Quansah on his way out, Virgil van Dijk ageing and Ibrahima Konate entering the final year of his contract, Liverpool appear willing to splash the cash on a proven Premier League centre-back for the future in Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi. The England international has stamped his mark as one of the best in the division in recent seasons and despite being continually linked with a switch to Chelsea and Tottenham over the past year or two, it now appears that a move up north is increasingly likely. That said, Liverpool will reportedly only intensify their pursuits if Palace budge on their £70m asking price. Rodrygo, Real Madrid On the wing, Liverpool could look to provide further reinforcements in the form of Real Madrid star Rodrygo. The Brazil international appears to be heading for the Santiago Bernabeu exit door this summer after being used sparingly at the Club World Cup. Premier League rivals Arsenal are also said to be interested. Angelo Stiller, Stuttgart Liverpool have found joy when fishing at the Stuttgart well for defensive midfielders before. They will hope highly-rated German star Angelo Stiller, 24, will follow in Wataru Endo's suit and swap the MHP Arena for Merseyside. The former Bayern Munich prospect has been at the heart of their midfield for the past two seasons and helped Stuttgart qualify for the Champions League in 2023/24.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool's next signing is starting to unveil
Liverpool's next signing is starting to unveil and it's not Alexander Isak. Of course the Swede is still a priority target for the Reds. But his saga could drag on for a while. This doesn't mean that Liverpool won't sign him, merely that given it's a deal of huge magnitude, it's going to take a long time to iron out the details. LFC Kits Shop Now LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now But in the meantime, there is another priority area where Richard Hughes will want to add more depth to Arne Slot's squad. With Joe Gomez travelling back home from pre-season due to an injury, it has exposed a great need at centre-back for the Reds. Liverpool have already lost Jarell Quansah this summer, and they now have just two senior centre-back on tour in pre-season in Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. This has seen Slot play Luca Stephenson, Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas at centre-back. It's becoming very apparent after the four goals conceded against AC Milan that this situation is not tenable going into the season. Liverpool need more depth in the centre-back positions, especially considering Konate and Gomez are both injury prone. This is therefore the obvious next transfer Hughes is going to sort out. And while the first name everyone will gravitate to is Marc Guehi, he might not be the clear choice. In fact, Liverpool may already be targeting someone else in the position, who could be an even better fit.
