Liverpool could pursue a £130m transfer opportunity next summer after failing to land key wing targets last month. The club spent nearly £200m on Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola in Andoni Iraola's first transfer window as manager.
The summer marked a new era for the Premier League club but also represented a missed opportunity. Liverpool attempted to sign Yankuba Minteh and Ismaila Sarr as potential replacements for Mohamed Salah, but Brighton and Crystal Palace rejected their approaches.
Rayan release clause
The failure to acquire those wingers could lead Liverpool to chase Bournemouth's Rayan, whose £130m release clause becomes active next summer, according to The Athletic. The Brazil international arrived in the Premier League in January under Iraola and scored five goals with two assists in 15 games.
The Cherries are expected to reject any approach before the clause is triggered. Liverpool may boast an impressive forward line, but they did not sign an out-and-out right-winger this summer, leaving a like-for-like replacement for Salah unaddressed after the Minteh and Sarr deals collapsed.
Sporting director contenders
Richard Hughes's exit from Liverpool was announced last week, with the former sporting director leaving a year before his contract was due to expire. FSG technical director Julian Ward, who previously served as sporting director in 2022 after Michael Edwards's departure, has been named a strong contender to succeed Hughes.
According to The Athletic, Ward is among the leading names for the role, with assistant sporting director David Woodfine and director of football development Pedro Marques also possible internal options. External hires have not been ruled out.
