Liverpool were interested in making a fifth midfield addition over the summer, but a reliable journalist has revealed that a deal wasn’t as advanced as has recently been reported.
What's the latest transfer news at Liverpool?
According to reports, FSG and Jurgen Klopp maintain a strong interest in Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes despite him being about to sign a new long-term contract in the northeast, whilst club correspondent Neil Jones has confirmed that West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen is a player that chiefs have admired for quite some time.
The Merseyside outfit have additionally set their sights on Juventus’ Federico Chiesa should Mohamed Salah leave for Saudi Arabia next year, and they have also learned that it will take a huge offer to secure the services of Brentford’s Aaron Hickey should they want to prise him away from the Community Stadium.
At Anfield, another player of interest was Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat who, before the transfer deadline, ended up joining Premier League rivals Manchester United on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of it, but an interesting claim emerged that he could have instead been on his way to L4.
The Daily Mail’s Confidential previously reported that the Moroccan defensive midfielder was just hours away from joining the Reds, but the deal supposedly ended up collapsing following talks being put on hold in a period that saw the board have a change of heart.
Did Liverpool almost sign Sofyan Amrabat?
In his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, however, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Liverpool did initiate contact to ask about a swoop for Amrabat, but shut down rumours that it was ever close to completion. He said:
“Speaking of Amrabat, I’ve been asked about some reports of Liverpool coming very close to signing the Moroccan midfielder this summer. From what I know, there was just a call from Liverpool in the summer right after the Moises Caicedo story to ask for conditions of Amrabat deal and then nothing else.
“It was not even a negotiation, just a request and then they moved on [to] different targets. I think there’s no need to compare as in that position they preferred Wataru Endo, so their choice was clear.”
Is Sofyan Amrabat good?
During Man United’s 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Amrabat made his full debut and was the star of the show, recording an outstanding 96.3% pass success rate, highlighting his excellent calmness and composure on the ball.
Sponsored by Nike, the 27-year-old also managed two tackles during the game so he loves to throw himself into challenges and win back possession for his team, with these qualities having previously seen him dubbed a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese.
Furthermore, Ten Hag’s £65k-per-week earner, who has secured four senior trophies throughout his career, is a versatile operator having been deployed in eight different positions since bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the midfield and the defensive backline, so it's hard to deny he could have been a great addition for the Reds.