Liverpool’s summer transfer history emerges as Jurgen Klopp ramps up interest in defender

All the latest Reds news out of your diary as Paul Gorst brings you the goodies from Anfield in his Liverpool notebook

The 52nd and final game of a difficult season is now in full view as Liverpool’s Premier League season concludes in Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

Barring a collapse for Manchester United which sees them lose at home to Chelsea and Fulham this week, Jürgen Klopp’s side will return to the Europa League.

It hasn’t been as Reds fans had hoped when the season kicked off in August, but at least they’re approaching the end in good form with seven wins in an unbeaten run that now stands at 10 games.

Ahead of the final day, Paul Gorst brings you the goodies out of the Anfield diary in his latest Liverpool Notebook.

The search for defenders is on the rise

It was interesting to see Jurgen Klopp admit in his Friday press conference last week that the centre-back is part of the pitch the Reds are looking for this summer. Asked if defenders were also part of the search ahead of Aston Villa’s visit on Saturday, Klopp told reporters at the club’s AXA academy: “We are looking at all departments at the moment, at the moment. exception of the goalkeeper. Yes, if there’s a good one (midfielder-back) there, I wouldn’t deny it. That’s it. We’re definitely looking at all areas of the pitch.

Levi Colwill is someone who has his admirers at Liverpool as he has impressed in his 15 Premier League appearances for a top side at Brighton this season. At the age of 20, Colwill has great potential, but his return to Chelsea at the end of the season is problematic, as is Brighton’s own desire to make this deal permanent during their return in the next. season, even to participate in the Europa League. “I hope [Colwill] can play for us again next year, but that’s his and Chelsea’s decision,” Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi said this week. “I don’t know. We have to be ready to change some players, but Levi is obviously a top player for us.”

Young defenders with senior experience, who won’t necessarily eat up a huge chunk of the transfer budget, could be the general profile of those being assessed as potential centre-backs this summer. The midfield remains the priority.

Expect a busy June

While the Liverpool players will get some well-deserved time off the pitch in June after a tiring year, the players can look forward to a busy few weeks behind the scenes. The players will return for pre-season training at the AXA Center on July 8, but it is hoped that a significant part of the summer transfer business will be completed by then and Klopp would prefer to finalize the deals as soon as possible.

Of course, negotiation timelines will depend on a host of factors, but in an ideal world the Liverpool manager will deploy his new players early for pre-season ahead of a grueling training camp in Germany and a trade-motivated trip. in Singapore.

Liverpool moved quickly to ensure Calvin Ramsay, Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez were all signed well before the start of pre-season last year. Something similar is planned this time around as the Reds look to overhaul their midfield. So that means June is likely to be a busy month for recruiters.

Carvalho was virtually done in February after a deal fell through at the end of the January 2022 transfer window before Nunez was poached by Benfica in mid-June. Ramsay quickly followed. Carvalho and Nunez were therefore part of the Thailand and Singapore tour, while Ramsay was held off after his medical revealed an injury.

Said Firmino goodbye

While Saturday was an emotional farewell for Roberto Firmino alongside James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a more personal and private event on Sunday was equally emotional.

After meeting some supporters at the site of the new Rockfield Road mural dedicated to him, where he posed for photos, signed autographs and let himself be lulled one last time by general admiration and applause, Firmino then met his colleagues and their families for a special evening. and more intimate farewells.

In one of Anfield’s hospitality suites, Jurgen Klopp and captain Jordan Henderson gave speeches before, of course, being serenaded for Si Senor by his teammates. Firmino and his family were pictured on the Anfield pitch with the trophies he had won in eight successful years at the club, including the Champions League, Premier League and the Reds’ only Club World Cup to date – a silverware that the Brazilian lifted while scoring. the crucial goals from Qatar’s two games in December 2019.

Around 24 hours earlier, Firmino had been stopped by fans trying to leave Anfield after the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. After picking up a point with his 110th Liverpool goal earlier in the afternoon, the Reds striker got out of his car and happily signed autographs for what witnesses said were ‘around 50’ well-wishers .