Topic: LIVERPOOL TRANSFER THREAD - 2023 (FSG posts = get muted)

[Knight]

Not sure about underlying, his goals and assists look very good, to me.

In his first Premier League season too, for a plodding Moyes side:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/mohammed-kudus/leistungsdaten/spieler/543499

He’s massively overshot his xG this season. 7 goals from an xG of 4. And has done so with assists a little too. 5 assists from an xAG of 3.

[Fromola]

Olise’s injury history doesn’t look that bad to be fair. Neto, on the other hand, is in definite steer clear territory.

It's just whether there's any lasting damage from Hodgson testing his resolve. He rushed him back from a hamstring strain before Christmas and gave him full minutes over christmas and new year. He then rushed him back for another game and he got injured again. Hodgson just mismanaged him probably.

Neto I wouldn't go near.

We need to start buying durable players.

[Asam]

Not sure about underlying, his goals and assists look very good, to me.

In his first Premier League season too, for a plodding Moyes side:

https://www.transfermarkt.com/mohammed-kudus/leistungsdaten/spieler/543499

If we can sign a forward from West Ham it should be Bowen, I like Kudus but he was value for money before he joined WHU

[Caston]

Hopefully injuries are something Slot and team can look at for next season. Our player availability has been poor for the last few years, maybe it’s due to training and our style of play - but keeping your good players fit has a big impact in the league.

[Agent99]

Never get that on a new shirt mate, does he have a nickname?

Shimmy.

[JackWard33]

If we can sign a forward from West Ham it should be Bowen, I like Kudus but he was value for money before he joined WHU

We have the ability to sign any forward we like from West Ham.. and it should be none of them

[Clint Eastwood]

Geertruida rumours won’t go away will they? Sounds like he wants to join us. I doubt Slot, Hughes and Edwards have already sat down and discussed targets though.

[MonsLibpool]

If we can sign a forward from West Ham it should be Bowen, I like Kudus but he was value for money before he joined WHU

Bowen is more than good enough for us. It's his age and his price tag that are the issue.

[Draex]

Bowen is more than good enough for us. It's his age and his price tag that are the issue.

If Salah stays Bowen isn't going to come in and play rotational why would he.

[Barefoot Doctor]

Geertruida rumours won’t go away will they? Sounds like he wants to join us. I doubt Slot, Hughes and Edwards have already sat down and discussed targets though.

I'd be surprised if they haven't. There's loads of work that needs to go into transfers at this time of year, so I expect we've been busy in the background.

[JackWard33]

You guys that would sell our strikers who are on bad finishing runs but buy a lad whose coming off a nearly double xg run (in the league) should never gamble in casinos ... oh look red 6 times.. red is hot... etc etc

Bowen is fine .. he's also found his level in football

[MonsLibpool]

If Salah stays Bowen isn't going to come in and play rotational why would he.

He's not a realistic signing considering his age, price tag and his potential role as you said.

[PeterTheRed ...]

Geertruida rumours won’t go away will they? Sounds like he wants to join us. I doubt Slot, Hughes and Edwards have already sat down and discussed targets though.

If Slot sees Trent as a right-sided midfielder, then Geertruida makes sense ...

[Bennett]

If Slot sees Trent as a right-sided midfielder, then Geertruida makes sense ...

Where is the indication that he sees him as a right-sided midfielder?

[Chris~]

Bradley and Gomez have shown enough this season that buying a right back would be a waste of resources + squad space when there's other priorities

[stewy17]

If Slot sees Trent as a right-sided midfielder, then Geertruida makes sense ...

If Slot sees Allison as a centre forward then buying Courtois makes sense...

[Kopenhagen]

Trent may very well be sold and Gomez moved to CB.

[JackWard33]

Bradley and Gomez have shown enough this season that buying a right back would be a waste of resources + squad space when there's other priorities

Yeah I'm not sure I get the right back thing at all now (after years of us needing one)
I'd have zero qualms if we went into next season with Bradley as our first choice RB (this is outrageous https://fbref.com/en/players/bbd67769/)

[lionel_messias]

If Slot sees Trent as a right-sided midfielder, then Geertruida makes sense ...

Right-sided where?

He plays 4-2-3-1.

[Samie]

Liverpool could make a move for Willian Pacho of Eintracht Frankfurt.

At a fee of €50-60m, the aim would be to loan him back to Frankfurt for one more season to continue his development.

[@BILD]

[mullyred94]

Just sign a winger who can get to the byline and actually put a decent cross in

[robertobaggio37]

That would be incredibly stupidn decision

[rafathegaffa83]

I can't see us paying €50m to loan him back. It would be a waste of resources

[Samie]

Just sign a winger who can get to the byline and actually put a decent cross in

Yeah that's not what most Wingers do these days as they play as Inverted Wingers, which Slot does as well.

[Simplexity]

Paying 60m for a player then waiting a year before you can actually play them would be so stupid that I cannot even put it into words. So surely this cannot be true.

[mullyred94]

Yeah that's not what most Wingers do these days as they play as Inverted Wingers, which Slot does as well.

I'm not suggesting the Jermaine Pennant type.

There is players who play inverted that still can get to the byline.

Paying 60m for a player then waiting a year before you can actually play them would be so stupid that I cannot even put it into words. So surely this cannot be true.

Naby lad

[Garlic Red]

Fuckinell. I thought Scalvini was the next Maldini but after reading that it must be Pacho.

[farawayred]

Curiously enough, we will bring twice as many people as backroom staff than players, but no one comments on that. Achterberg is leaving too in addition to Klopp, Pep, and Vitor, plus the DoF team... Would Taffa stay? What about Mona, would we need another nutritionist, a new physio team (those might need refreshing on the evidence of the past two years).

I'm more worried about getting the backroom staff right than the players...

Samie, where art thou?!

[Samie]

Currently Slot is bringing 3 people with him, maybe 4 if the Doctor comes as well.

Hughes is bringing 2 scouts from Bournemouth to work in our Scouting network.

[Draex]

Geertruida got signed by Real in 2025 in FM24, he's now worth Ł156mil. Just saying.

[Samie]

I once sold Championship Manager legend Kim Kallstrom for circa Ł100m back in the day.  With inflation who knows how much he would cost now.   

[Working Class Hen-Pecked Hero]

Love the fact this title still says no Mbappe

[Sangria]

Currently Slot is bringing 3 people with him, maybe 4 if the Doctor comes as well.

Who?

[Samie]

The guy who feels up your inner thigh mate.

[Caston]

Love the fact this title still says no Mbappe

And how nobody has realised we’re in 2024 now

[PIPA23]

A big article in Slovak newspapers about Hancko being on Liverpool's list of potential signings...

Transfer to the Premier League sounds like a formality. Hancko openly admitted where he wants to go

Dávid Hancko will likely transfer to FC Liverpool.

During major football championships at the end of the season, such as the European or World Championships, the biggest transfers usually take place.

Players are in the spotlight of fans and sponsors, their marketing value is very high. Clubs want to capitalize on this.

Before or after the Euro 2024 this summer, some Slovak representatives could change their club. The biggest buzz is around Dávid Hancko.

He's left-footed, 26 years old, has proven himself as a reliable center-back in the Dutch Eredivisie and the Champions League, and as a productive left-back in the national team.

He could transfer from Feyenoord Rotterdam to a top club in the summer. His agent, Branislav Jašurek, has been openly discussing this for a long time, and the media have reported on various interested parties.

What does Hancko want?
Hancko will also have a say in this matter. It's possible he'll receive multiple offers.

So we asked him what his dream destination would be. Regardless of whether he currently considers it realistic or whether there is genuine interest from that side.

He replied candidly.

"Personally, I follow the Premier League the most. And the club? Even though my role model has always been David Beckham, I've always been drawn to Liverpool," Hancko revealed when we spoke with him in February after the Footballer of the Year poll. In the past, he admitted that he considers Liverpool's defender Virgil van Dijk the best defender in the world.

He's been a fan of Liverpool since he was seven. "The 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, when Liverpool turned the score around from 0:3 against AC Milan and won on penalties, was the first time my parents allowed me to watch until the end. Moreover, then Maťo Škrtel came."

He admitted that the topic of his preferences has already been discussed. "We've talked about it with my agent several times. But I don't focus on it at all now. When the time comes, we'll sit down and decide how we feel," said Hancko.

Equally important is how his wife, Czech tennis player Kristýna Plíšková, who is on maternity leave with their son Adam, will perceive the change in environment.

"She definitely has her preferences," he smiled in a relaxed atmosphere. Journalists teased him that Liverpool is a beautiful city, or with questions like whether they listen to the Beatles.

"Kristýna has often told me that she's traveled the whole world. Tennis tournaments in England apart from Wimbledon aren't that special, so she probably wouldn't like England. However, she has emphasized many times that wherever I go, she and Adam will always go with me. I have incredible support and backing from them."

What does Liverpool want?
Interest from the English club is nothing new. In the vicinity of Prievidza, where Hancko comes from, some people in football circles were already privately discussing this connection as a fact in the autumn.

His agent, Branislav Jasurek, admitted in an interview with Denník N back in October that there was interest from an unnamed Premier League and Serie A club. In connection with Italy, Napoli, where Stanislav Lobotka plays, has been mentioned in the corridors, and there has also been talk about Paris St. Germain, where Milan Škriniar plays.

"There was talk about FC Liverpool, but they don't need to fill the center-back position there now. If David went there, he would be the third center-back in line, which doesn't make sense," Jašurek claimed in autumn.

The situation has changed. Center-backs have relatively frequently changed, experienced Joel Matip was slowed down by an injury, Virgil van Dijk played only one match in the Europa League group stage.

Traditionally well-informed journalist Fabrizio Romano has already written that acquiring a center-back is seen as a priority for Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

And the compatriot of Martin Škrtel, who became a legend of the club from 2008 to 2016, sounds like an ideal choice.

"We have a clear agreement that for David to leave Feyenoord, it must be a club with a truly great project, there must be an exceptional coach in it. They have that now with Arne Slot at Feyenoord," Jašurek said in autumn.

And it is precisely this piece of information that changes the situation the most. Arne Slot will move from Feyenoord to the bench of FC Liverpool after the season. The clubs have already reached an agreement.

Hancko is a guarantee of certainty for Slot. The Slovak player has not missed a minute in the current season so far. As a center-back, he also scored in the domestic cup, in the Champions League, and four times in the Eredivisie. Three of his league goals were match-winners.

"I don't hide that if an offer comes and it makes sense to us, like the transfer from Sparta Prague to Feyenoord, then why not?" Hancko added regarding his potential transfer.

Left-footed center-backs capable of playing on the edge of the defensive formation are highly valued. In our discussion with Hancko, we mentioned the names of Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City) and Jakub Kiwior (Arsenal).

"Because of them, I can't judge whether there are still teams in the Premier League looking for such a player. We'll see what the summer brings, I'm mainly looking forward to the Euros," said the Slovak representative.

However, the championship itself will not be decisive in the event of a possible transfer. "Certainly, scouting in top teams is at such a level that nobody will decide based on three matches in the Euros, they've seen dozens if not hundreds during the last seasons. But I'm hoping that my good performances and potential success of the team could also help me," he added.

What does Feyenoord want?
Hancko has a long-term contract with the Dutch club until the summer of 2028. He signed it only at the end of last year.

"Also considering the new contract, Feyenoord will definitely ask for a sum that limits the choice of potential suitors, and any negotiations won't be easy," Hancko realizes.

The departure of coach Slot after three years could be a signal that Feyenoord is ready for changes. And also ready to negotiate. If the wrong choice of the successor coach were to worsen the club's results, the player's value could decrease.

"Those interested in Hancko said they want €35 million plus bonuses," Jašurek said regarding the transfer fee. "It definitely won't be less than €30 million."

Hancko could thus become the most expensive Slovak footballer in history. The record is currently held by Milan Škriniar, for whom Genoa's Sampdoria received approximately €34 million from Inter Milan including bonuses.

The captain of the Slovak national team is now playing for Paris St. Germain. Even though they offered significantly more for him, Škriniar eventually left for free last summer after the end of his contract.

Hancko was the most expensive purchase in Feyenoord's history with a sum of roughly €10 million, and soon he could be their best sale again.

What happens if he doesn't eventually transfer?

"I wouldn't have any problem staying at Feyenoord at all. I have a great relationship with the fans, and if I didn't leave, I'd still be playing in the Champions League here, which is also great," he concluded the topic.

Feyenoord currently holds the 2nd place in the Eredivisie behind PSV Eindhoven, both clubs have secured a spot in the group stage of the Champions League. The club also includes the representative Leo Sauer.

[PeterTheRed ...]

Where is the indication that he sees him as a right-sided midfielder?

The indication is that we are being linked with a right fullback, of course. Do I really have to explain everything?

[PeterTheRed ...]

Right-sided where?

He plays 4-2-3-1.

Not really. Watch some Feyenoord games, and you will see that it is not a rigid 4-2-3-1 at all. I am still trying to figure it out, but it is very fluid and flexible ...

[killer-heels]

The indication is that we are being linked with a right fullback, of course. Do I really have to explain everything?

But Trent would play right of a midfield 3?

[PeterTheRed ...]

But Trent would play right of a midfield 3?

Slot's midfield setup is a bit different to Klopp's. I am still trying to figure it out, since I haven't seen enough Feyenoord games. To put it simple, it would be somewhere between the right sided midfielder in the classic 4-3-3 and the right sided pivot in the classic 4-2-3-1 ...

Edit: This is how he uses Mats Wieffer ...