As Jurgen Klopp prepares to depart on the ultimate high at the end of the Premier League season, Liverpool have reportedly already turned their attention towards summer reinforcements with another midfield addition targeted.
Liverpool transfer news
The headlines surrounding Liverpool have unsurprisingly been centred around Klopp’s replacement this summer, with Xabi Alonso seemingly the leading candidate. According to reports the Reds have already made an offer to Alonso in an attempt to secure his signature ahead of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
The former midfield star has caught the attention of European football this season for his work with Bayer Leverkusen, who sit top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten in an extraordinary campaign.
If it is to be Alonso, then those at Anfield will need to turn their attention towards reinforcements who could slot into his 3-4-2-1 system. And that’s where Teun Koopmeiners could come in. The Atalanta attacking midfielder has been linked with the Reds in recent days ahead of a potential summer move and could take up the role that Florian Wirtz has thrived in under Alonso, should Liverpool secure both moves.
Meanwhile, FSG have been tipped to move to hand their next manager an in-demand star. According to Foot Mercato, Liverpool are chasing Alan Varela and sent a scout to watch the Porto midfielder in his last outing – a stunning 5-0 thrashing of title rivals Benfica.
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He has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign.
However, if the Premier League giants do want to secure the defensive midfielder’s signature this summer, not only will they have to trigger his reported release clause of €70m (£60m), but they will also have to beat the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund in a busy race to get their deal over the line in the coming months.
“Rolls-Royce” Varela can unleash Mac Allister
Anfield has seen in recent weeks just how good Alexis Mac Allister can be in a more advanced role, with Wataru Endo’s return playing a large part in accommodating that. At 31-years-old, the Japan international is not a long-term solution to unlocking Mac Allister’s best traits, however. And that’s where Varela should come in.
The Porto midfielder, at 22-years-old, is already impressing and has even outperformed Endo in several areas so far this season, as the numbers show.
League stats 23/24 (via FBref) | Alan Varela | Wataru Endo |
|---|---|---|
Progressive Carries | 18 | 6 |
Progressive Passes | 105 | 54 |
Blocks | 28 | 15 |
Interceptions | 18 | 10 |
Given that Varela is Mac Allister’s Argentine compatriot too, Liverpool could form an ideal partnership at the heart of their next manager’s midfield. If the Porto man did arrive, he’d become the Reds’ fifth South American in and around the current squad, adding to Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez, Alisson Becker and Luis Diaz.
What’s more, Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig is someone who will certainly back Varela to succeed wherever he ends up, having praised the Argentine by describing him on X as a “Rolls-Royce” when detailing his ability.
