Potential Liverpool Transfers There Have Been No Rumours About That Make Sense
Benjamin Franklin once wrote in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy in 1789: "In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
Liverpool fans would like to add something else to that short list of inevitabilities: botched transfer signings.
The Reds have made three new additions this summer, recruiting Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke and, more recently, Andy Robertson to bolster a squad that secured a top-four Premier League finish last season.
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However, if the window were to close right now, supporters would feel a sense of disappointment in the club's business.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp's flirtations with Virgil van Dijk went a step too far, leaving the player fighting a lone battle to force his way out of Southampton before we reach the end of August.
Then there was the Naby Keita saga. Liverpool tried their level best to prise the midfielder from RB Leipzig but after two failed bids (the second of which stood at £66 million), they have "cooled their interest," according to Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo.
As well as the public pursuits of Keita and Van Dijk, many, many other names have been mentioned by the media as potential transfer targets.
French newspaper Le Parisien (h/t Tom Olver of Metro.co.uk) suggested in June that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was keen to move to Merseyside, but the feeling clearly wasn't mutual. Surprisingly, the market for last year's leading scorer in the Bundesliga failed to heat up.
David Maddock and John Cross of the Mirror, meanwhile, reported Liverpool made a "direct enquiry" to Arsenal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. There was even brief talk about Monaco's Kylian Mbappe, per Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph.
But are you fed up with the same names consistently doing the rounds this summer? Bleacher Report decided to think outside the box to come up with some fresh ideas.
With the help of the good folk on Twitter, we've picked out a few potential recruits for key positions who, to date, haven't been (heavily) linked with Liverpool since the current window opened.
Central Intelligence: Defensive Linchpin
While Van Dijk and Southampton remain at loggerheads over his future on the south coast, Klopp must decide whether to hold on for his No. 1 choice or instead prepare to go after an alternative name.
Make no mistake, the German will have scouted other defensive options.
Bruno Satin, the agent for Kalidou Koulibaly, told Radio CRC (h/t James Benson of the Daily Star) earlier in the window that he'd held talks with Chelsea and Liverpool over the centre-back, albeit he rejected the idea his client would be moving on from his current club, Napoli.
Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) reported Liverpool failed with a bid for another centre-back from Serie A, as €20 million wasn't enough to get Stefan de Vrij out of Lazio.
The problem with buying a defender not named Van Dijk is the uncertainty over what you're getting. There's no guarantee the Dutchman will be wonderful at Liverpool, yet he has at least already demonstrated he can cope with the demands of defending in the Premier League.
When the question of new names was put to the Twittersphere, two intriguing suggestions popped up in the replies:
Aymeric Laporte is an elegant centre-half who likes to carry the ball out from the back. That would immediately appeal to Liverpool fans, particularly those who grew up watching Alan Hansen playing in his pomp, rather than him sitting down offering opinions on Match of the Day.
Unsurprisingly, Pep Guardiola was keen to get Laporte to Manchester City and looked set to get his man last summer—only for the Frenchman to reject the move at the last minute, according to Sam Lee of Goal.
As for Mauricio Lemos, he spurned Barcelona in 2016 to instead sign permanently with Las Palmas. Why? Because the idea of being fourth choice at Camp Nou didn't appeal.
"Many players go due to the name of the club, but what are they going for? If one day I move to a big club like that, my intention is to be a regular," the Uruguayan told La Republica (h/t Sam Marsden of ESPN.co.uk).
Lemos—who has also lined up as a defensive midfielder—would be a huge gamble. Is he even an immediate upgrade on Dejan Lovren, the man most likely to lose his place should Van Dijk eventually get his wish?
Therein lies the issue for Klopp. He's not necessarily wanting an extra back-up, or a prospect to develop on the training field with one eye on the future, but a top-class defender to come in and play immediately.
They, sadly, do not come cheap. It feels like it's a case of Van Dijk or nothing.
Other names mentioned on Twitter: Javi Martinez (seems a stretch), Jose Gimenez (as if Diego Simeone would give up a defender...)
The Engine Room: Midfield Options
Let's start with Mateo Kovacic, as suggested by Alexey Yaroshevksy on social media.
While perhaps not carrying the same goal threat as Keita (Kovacic managed just two in 39 appearances in all competitions last season, compared to the Leipzig player's tally of eight in 31 Bundesliga fixtures), his passing abilities could help unlock stubborn opponents who turn up to park the bus at Anfield.
According to Tom Collomosse and Tom Doyle of the Evening Standard, Real Madrid could be ready to cash in on the Croatian. The article links Tottenham Hotspur with a player who cost £26.35 million from Inter Milan in 2015. You'd expect the La Liga giants would, at least, want to make their money back.
The Reds were reported to be interested last summer, per Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia). However, after a difficult first season with Madrid, Kovacic stuck it out and remained in Spain.
His reward was an increased role. While still not a first-choice player under Zinedine Zidane, he managed 2,154 minutes of action in the last campaign, up considerably from the 1,414 played in 2015/16.
Still only 23, Kovacic is an investment with both short- and long-term potential. Confident on the ball and capable of handling himself physically, he shouldn't struggle adapting to life in England.
Jean Michael Seri is older at 26, but that doesn't mean he doesn't hold value.
Arsenal are allegedly considering a bid for the Nice playmaker, per Peter O'Rourke of ESPN FC. However, Ed Dove of KweseESPN laid out the case for Liverpool looking at one of the standout players from Ligue 1 last season.
"He averaged 83.4 passes per match—the third highest in the division—and averaged 2.2 key passes per game, a tally bettered by only three players," Dove wrote.
"The Ivorian is primarily suited to operating as a sitting deep-lying playmaker; keeping things ticking over, dictating the tempo, and picking out mobile forwards with ranging passes."
Nice will not want to lose one of their star performers while still afloat in the UEFA Champions League; they knocked out Ajax in the third qualifying round on Wednesday to join Liverpool in the play-offs.
AS Monaco are already certain to be playing in the group stages of Europe's premier club competition, although their squad will look substantially different from the one that reached the semi-finals last season.
The English vultures have picked off some of the club's prized assets, with Manchester City taking Bernado Silva and Benjamin Mendy. Chelsea, meanwhile, swooped in for Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Mbappe still remains, as does midfielder Fabinho. The latter is a converted right-back with an eye for goal, although he could also be used as a defensive shield in front of the back four.
Jordan Henderson's heel injury left a sizeable void in that deep-lying role late in the season, while the reliable Lucas Leiva can no longer be counted on after moving to Lazio.
The only problem is Monaco appear to be closed for business. "We have kept all of the key players that we intended to keep,” vice-president Vadim Vasilyev said, according to Evan Bartlett of the Independent.
Fabinho, Kovacic and Seri would all offer something different for Klopp, who must quickly get over the disappointment of missing out on Keita and work out exactly what he wants from a new midfielder.
Other names mentioned on Twitter: William Carvalho (because he has to be mentioned with any English club), Geoffrey Kondogbia, Saul Niguez (signed a new contract with Atletico Madrid), Julian Weigl.
Wide-Eyed Attackers: Forward Cover
You shouldn't get too carried away with what happens in pre-season. Results are irrelevant; the important thing is to get players fit for what will be a long, hard road ahead.
Having said all that, it was impossible not to be excited by Liverpool's display in the 3-0 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Fittingly at the Audi Cup, they already looked to be in top gear.
New boy Salah has fitted straight in, giving Klopp another pacy predator to pop on the opposite flank to Sadio Mane. They do not so much wage a war on rival defences but instead strike in stealth mode, making quick incisions at the heart of their opponents.
But, as Tom Holmes of Anfield Index pointed out, there is still a need within the squad for further reinforcements out wide:
"When Sadio Mane wasn’t able to play, Roberto Firmino was used out wide and that clearly isn’t his best position. It was telling that in the back end of the season, Liverpool had to find new ways to grind out wins without Mane, as their natural fluidity was stagnated without Mane’s pace and movement."
Liverpool didn't carry the same threat when Mane was absent for spells during the previous campaign.
Ryan Kent—who stole hearts with one outrageous step-over move against Bayern—is likely to be loaned out to a Championship club after signing a new contract. According to Philip Buckingham of the Hull Daily Mail, Hull City and Leeds United are battling it out to take the talented 20-year-old.
There are two contrasting options to consider at Leicester City. Liverpool's name has cropped up in connection with Demarai Gray, who—according to James Nursey of the Mirror—wanted assurances from manager Craig Shakespeare over his future role with the Foxes.
His path to more playing time could become clearer if team-mate Riyad Mahrez moves on. A star of Leicester's unlikely Premier League title triumph in 2015/16, the Algeria international is a sought-after talent yet not the type of player who would appear an obvious fit with Klopp's style of play.
Considering Klopp's wandering eye towards Christian Pulisic at Borussia Dortmund, wing options who make realistic sense—and haven't been talked up in the press to date—are thin on the ground.
Step forward, Quincy Promes.
Talked about as a target in the January window, the Dutchman poured petrol all over the transfer fire by liking an Instagram post by compatriot Georginio Wijnaldum, who just so happens to play for Liverpool, only for Simon Jones of the Daily Mail to reveal how the club had cooled their interest.
Capable of lining up on either flank, the 25-year-old has speed to burn and loves a dribble.
The biggest stumbling block over any deal for Promes could be the potential fee. TransferMarkt value him at £17 million—Spartak Moscow would likely want much more than that to allow him to leave, especially as the sheer scale of the television revenue collected by English clubs these days pushes up the initial asking price.
Other names mentioned on Twitter: Yannick Carrasco (Atletico's transfer ban makes any deal unlikely), Marco Reus (injured).
Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All statistics and transfer fees are from Transfermarkt unless otherwise stated.
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