Liverpool have continued their summer transfer business with two more Academy players departing and a loan move nearing completion, as new head coach Andoni Iraola assesses his squad ahead of the new season.
Outgoing deals
On Thursday, the Reds confirmed goalkeeper Armin Pecsi will spend the campaign at Austrian side TSV Hartberg, while defender Amara Nallo is at Finnish outfit HJK Helsinki for the rest of the year. Midfielder Kyle Kelly is on a temporary stay at National League team Forest Green Rovers.
Luca Stephenson has joined Championship side Bolton Wanderers in a £700,000 deal, while another midfielder, Tommy Pilling, is expected to move to Slovakian side MFK Zemplin Michalovce. Meanwhile, Kornel Misciur, the 18-year-old Academy goalkeeper who was on the bench six times in the Champions League last season, is close to agreeing a loan move with a number of non-league clubs having registered an interest.
A group of other youngsters are likely to leave on loan, although some may have to wait after involvement on the US tour for a final decision to be made.
Senior squad departures
Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate recently departed on free transfers along with nine other Academy players after their contracts expired. Robertson has signed for Tottenham Hotspur while Konate has gone to Real Madrid, although Salah has yet to determine his next club despite constant speculation.
A number of other senior Liverpool players have had question marks over their futures, but all still remain at the club and are on the tour to the United States with Iraola's concerns over a lack of squad depth meaning they seem certain to stay put for the time being.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are in the last 12 months of their current deals, with Inter Milan having failed in a £20m bid for the former – Liverpool value the midfielder in excess of £30m – and Galatasaray and Nottingham Forest having also shown interest. Sunderland and Leeds United have been linked with Elliott.
Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo are also approaching the end of their deals, but Gomez could start the season opener at Newcastle United and Endo is still recovering from injury. Alisson Becker, also out of contract next summer, is staying with talk earlier in the window of Giorgi Mamardashvili being offered to clubs in Italy on loan by his representatives thus far coming to nothing.
Incoming transfers
Spain international winger Victor Munoz became the first signing under Iraola when Liverpool triggered his £34.5million release clause at Osasuna last month, while the Reds had already confirmed back in January that 20-year-old centre-back Jeremy Jacquet would arrive this summer from Rennes after a £60m deal was agreed.
Iraola has confirmed Liverpool are still seeking a right-winger having been willing to pay £86m for 19-year-old Yan Diomande only for RB Leipzig to want more than £100m and for it to emerge the player would prefer a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool made an enquiry about Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche although reports in France say he too wants to go to PSG. The French team's winger, Bradley Barcola, is among those on the Reds shortlist but is also valued at above £100m. Brighton's Yanbuka Minteh, Said El Mala of Koln and Lille's Matia Fernandez-Pardo have also been looked at. Intriguingly, none of the five players mentioned has yet to move this summer, although Anthony Gordon, in whom Liverpool were interested, joined Barcelona.
Reds head coach Iraola has also pointed to Liverpool's defensive options being thin, comments which then prompted a flurry of claims of interest from a wide range of players.
The Reds have also been working on bolstering their Academy options, with 17-year-old Colombian attacking midfielder Samuel Martinez completing a £750,000 deal that will see him move next summer. Ifeanyi Ndukwe, the 18-year-old centre-back, arrived from Austria Vienna after an initial £2.6m agreement was reached in January, while there have been a number of arrivals at the lower Academy age groups.
