Liverpool are the only club to have come “really close” to completing the signing of a “top talent” with a huge release clause, and are still firmly in the race to snap him up in the summer.
Liverpool planning for life after Klopp
Jurgen Klopp’s time as Reds manager is slowly coming to an end, as hard as that is to stomach for supporters, but he has allayed fears over his exit, backing the club to move on without him: “I really think it is the perfect moment for a new manager and not the wrong one because we didn’t win everything, we left spaces.”
It looks as though former ace Michael Edwards is being lined up for a significant new role at Liverpool, with talks currently taking place with owners FSG. Richard Hughes could come in as the new sporting director, too, making the move from Bournemouth.
Both will play pivotal roles in upcoming transfers, and the Reds are already seemingly looking at options to bring in during the summer transfer window, eyeing a move for Porto midfielder Alan Varela. He has been a key man for his current side this season, completing 89.7% of his passes in the Primeira Liga.
Liverpool are also reportedly in pole position to sign Atalanta ace Teun Koopmeiners at the end of the season, with the midfield still potentially being bolstered this summer, despite major reinforcements in that area last year.
Liverpool want player with £128m release clause
According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool have “come really close” to signing Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov recently, and are still battling to snap him up.
He certainly isn’t without suitors, however, with heavyweight European trio Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all interested in acquiring his signature, too.
A summer auction for Sudakov is predicted in the report, and he has a huge €150m (£128m) release clause in his contract, as Serie A pair Juventus and Napoli also hover.
He has admitted that a move away from Shakhtar appeals to him, saying: “As I said, the Premier League is an incredible league, but first of all I want to play in one of the top 5 leagues and Italy is no exception in that sense.”
With Thiago expected to leave Liverpool when his Reds contract expires in the summer, Sudakov could be viewed as a younger replacement who could be an important squad player for years.
10 of Michael Edwards’ best Liverpool signings | Year | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Sadio Mane (Southampton) | 2016 | £34m |
Gini Wijnaldum (Newcastle United) | 2016 | £25m |
Joel Matip (Schalke) | 2016 | Free |
Mohamed Salah (Roma) | 2017 | £37m |
Andy Robertson (Hull City) | 2017 | £10m |
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) | 2017 | £35m |
Virgil van Dijk (Southampton) | 2018 | £75m |
Alisson (Roma) | 2018 | £67m |
Fabinho (Monaco) | 2018 | £39m |
Takumi Minamino (RB Salzburg) | 2020 | £7.25m |
Granted, the Ukraine international is more attack-minded that the Spaniard, but his versatility means he can also be effective in a deeper role. His creativity is outlined by an average of 1.7 key passes per game across six Champions League appearances this season, while journalist Fabrizio Romano has described him as a “top talent”.
At 21, Sudakov wouldn’t necessarily arrive as an immediate starter for Liverpool, but if Edwards sees him as a great option, assuming he comes in for a second spell at Anfield, his track record means he should be trusted, having masterminded the signings of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk, among others.
