The Reds are expecting a busy window as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his defence and midfield significantly.
There’s no denying it; Liverpool are set for a busy summer transfer window.
The disappointment of this season, in which the Reds somehow managed to miss out on Champions League qualification, has focused minds at Anfield, with significant moves expected in the close season.
Departures have already been confirmed. Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all leave on free transfers, while others could follow, as Jurgen Klopp looks to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours once more.
That means signings, and good ones at that. Midfield is an obvious target area, but don’t be surprised to see Klopp looking to reinforce his defence too, given some of the struggles of key personnel this term.
Links with potential targets, as they always are with Liverpool, have been plentiful. Here are the players most likely to end up at Anfield this summer.
Alexis MacAllister (Brighton)
We’ll start with the obvious. Mac Allister has, following the decision to walk away from a potential deal for Jude Bellingham, emerged as Liverpool’s top summer target, The Reds were impressed by the Argentina World Cup winner’s superb form for Brighton.
It is understood that the 24-year-old would be keen on a move to Merseyside, although Chelsea, Manchester United, and even Manchester City have also been linked.
Anfield sources have dismissed recent speculation that a £70 million ($87m) deal is close to being agreed, but it is clear that Mac Allister is high on Liverpool’s list, and it would be no surprise to see this transfer completed.
Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Another player to have been repeatedly linked with Liverpool in recent months is Mount, the Chelsea and England attacking midfielder.
The 24-year-old is about to enter the final year of his contract, and talks over an extension are understood to have stalled some time ago.
Liverpool are long-time admirers, and have received encouragement that Mount would be open to the idea of moving to Anfield.
Arsenal and Manchester United have, though, also been linked, and recent reports have since suggested that a move to Old Trafford would be Mount’s preferred choice if a deal could be struck.
Regardless, much will hinge on how hard Chelsea and new manager Mauricio Pochettino push to keep their academy graduate, or indeed how much they demand for the player should they look to sell up.
Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich)
Having been linked with Gravenberch in the summers of both 2020 and 2022, Liverpool have completed the hat-trick this year.
The Dutch international has endured a disappointing first season at Bayern Munich, and reports suggest the 21-year-old is eager to move in search of more regular football.
Representatives from the Reds are believed to have met with the talented midfielder’s father back in March, though the mood music since has suggested that Bayern, understandably, are reluctant to sell the former Ajax man after only one season in Bavaria.
Any move may depend on Gravenberch’s desire to make life difficult for the Bundesliga giants.
Jurrien Timber (Ajax)
With Trent Alexander-Arnold reveling in a new hybrid full-back/midfield role, finding defenders capable of covering for the England international will be key this summer. And in that sense, Ajax and Dutch star Timber fit the bill.
His ability to play as both a right-back and a centre-back, his pace, and his ball-playing ability make the 21-year-old an interesting option, with reports in the Netherlands suggesting that contact has already been made by Liverpool.
A move, however, could depend on what happens with both Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, neither of whom have had the best of seasons, and both of whom could have opportunities to move in the summer.
Romeo Lavia (Southampton)
One of the few players to emerge with credit from Southampton’s relegation, Lavia is widely-tipped to make a big-money transfer this summer.
Liverpool are certainly admirers of the 19-year-old, who spent two seasons with Manchester City prior to his move to St. Mary’s last summer.
A more naturally deep-lying midfielder than, say, Mac Allister or Mount, Lavia is nonetheless the kind of young, hungry, and talented player Liverpool tend to target, and a rumoured fee of less than £40m ($50m) should not prove too prohibitive, although the Belgium international is also said to be coveted by Chelsea.
Matheus Nunes (Wolves)
Would Liverpool’s season have turned out differently had they acted upon their long-standing interest in Matheus last summer?
Maybe, but we’ll never know. What we do know is that they allowed the Portugal international to join Wolves, but that they have tracked his progress closely since.
Matheus’ form at Molineux has, in truth, been rather up and down, but Liverpool believe there is a top-level player there, and it would be no surprise if they were to make a move for the 24-year-old this time around.
Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta)
Another Dutch international linked with a move to Anfield is Koopmeiners, who has impressed in Serie A with Atalanta, and is understood to have received glowing reports from the Reds’ Italian scouts.
At 25, he is of the right age to make a move to a top club, and his physicality and ability to play multiple roles in midfield should appeal, even if there may be concerns over his ability to adapt to life in the Premier League.
Khephren Thuram (Nice)
At 22 and having shone in Ligue 1 for Nice, Thuram looks primed, like his brother Marcus, for a transfer this summer.
And while Liverpool sources have played down suggestions that a move to Anfield is in the offing, there is definitely interest on the Reds’ part.
Understandably so, too. Thuram’s age and skillset make him a more than interesting proposition, and for a side that has lacked bite and energy for large parts of this season, it could be one that is hard to resist.
Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa)
If Mac Alilister, Mount, and Gravenberch are unquestionably the main midfield targets for Liverpool this season, a move for Aston Villa star Ramsey looks a little less likely.
The 21-year-old is, however, a player the Reds like and has been for some time.
His ability to score and create goals, his running power, and his potential to develop further have all been noted, but with Villa having secured European qualification under Unai Emery, and likely to demand a huge fee for their homegrown prodigy, it would take something special to prise the England Under-21s star away.
Nicolo Barella (Inter)
A player of genuine class and pedigree, who next month will be looking to add a Champions League winners’ medal to the Serie A and European Championship crowns he has won previously, Barella is a player Liverpool have admired for some time.
Pep Lijnders wrote about him in his book, Intensity, which detailed the Reds’ 2021–22 campaign, and the Italy international’s performances for Inter this season have done little to dampen the hype around the 26-year-old, who may need to be sacrificed for financial reasons by the Nerazzurri this summer.
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