Liverpool are continuing to restructure their squad ahead of the new season and a number of exits are now being touted
Darwin Nunez, Arne Slot and Alexander Isak.(Image: Getty Images)
And another one. Darwin Nunez’s exit to Al-Hilal for an initial £46million has been confirmed as the latest step in the summer overhaul being overseen by Arne Slot.
The Reds boss and sporting director Richard Hughes have been working hard during the transfer window to prepare the squad for their defence of the Premier League title, with more than £250m having already been committed on new players.
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have long acquired a reputation for being canny operators in the market. And there is likely to be much more business before the September 1 deadline.
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Jeremie Frimpong was the first new player through the door at Liverpool when his £29m move from Bayer Leverkusen was confirmed at the start of June.
Florian Wirtz made the same journey a few weeks later by becoming the Reds’ club record signing in a £116m deal, while in between Liverpool snapped up young goalkeeper Armin Pecsi from Puskas Academia for around £1.3m.
Milos Kerkez moved from Bournemouth for £40m before free transfer goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and fellow shot-stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili arrived at the start of July, the latter with a £29m move from Valencia agreed last August.
There were then two arrivals at different ends of the market in attack. Hugo Ekitike was captured from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal that could ultimately cost Liverpool £79m, while teenager striker Will Wright joined from Salford for an initial £200,000.
The outgoings have been equally extensive. Napoli had made an offer for Nunez earlier in the transfer window that was rejected by Liverpool, while AC Milan were also in the hunt. However, Al-Hilal, who had a proposal in January dismissed, appear to have now won the battle for the Uruguayan.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was the first out the door at the start of June after Real Madrid agreed to cough up £8.4m for a player who was a free agent a month later, while Caoimhin Kelleher left shortly afterwards for Brentford in a £18m package and Nat Phillips joined Championship side West Bromwich Albion in a £3m deal.
Jarell Quansah in July moved to Bayer Leverkusen in a transfer that could eventually see Liverpool be handed £35m, while Luis Diaz departed to Bayern Munich for £65m and Tyler Morton last week joined Lyon for a potential £15m.
A number of loan deals have been agreed with Vitezslav Jaros spending the season at Ajax, fellow goalkeeper Harvey Davies going to League Two side Crawley Town, left-back Owen Beck at Championship side Derby County and Isaac Mabaya heading for Wigan Athletic in League One.
Deals that could happen next
Liverpool remain interested in Alexander Isak, but are keeping a watching brief for now having had a £110m offer rejected by Newcastle United last week.
As things stand, the Reds won’t make another bid for the striker but matters continue to develop on Tyneside, with Isak banished to train away from the first team and not considered for selection.
Liverpool are also likely to recruit a centre-back. Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace is a long-time target but the Reds won’t pay over the odds for a player out of contract next summer, while youngsters Giovanni Leoni of Parma and Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal of Rennes have been linked.
More departures are anticipated. Federico Chiesa wants a return to Italy ahead of next summer’s World Cup with a number of Serie A sides interested, and Leeds United are the latest club to ponder a move for £20m-rated teenager winger Ben Doak with Wolves and West Ham United also keen.
Harvey Elliott held talks with RB Leipzig earlier this week over a potential move with Liverpool valuing the player in the £45m region. Elliott is reportedly also being tracked by Tottenham Hotspur after the serious knee injury suffered by James Maddison earlier this week.
And a surfeit of left-backs could see one of Andy Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas leave, with Robertson having been wanted by Atletico Madrid earlier in the summer before the Spaniards moved for Matteo Ruggeri of Atalanta.
Luca Stephenson, the 21-year-old midfielder, is wanted on loan again by Dundee United where he enjoyed an impressive stay last season. Championship side Swansea City and League One outfits Cardiff City, Reading and Rotherham United are also tracking the player while Aberdeen are considering a permanent move.
James McConnell has attracted loan interest from Championship teams West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, Derby County, Oxford United and Swansea, while he is also being tracked by newly-promoted Ligue 1 side Metz of France.
And Lewis Koumas, the Wales international striker, is a target for both a loan and potential permanent move. Championship sides Norwich City, Sheffield United, Hull City, Preston North End, Oxford and promoted duo Birmingham City and Wrexham have all expressed an interest, along with Sevilla of Spain.