Nasionalberita.com – Liverpool has felt the bitterness of being toyed with by Chelsea in the summer 2023 transfer window. Jurgen Klopp, the manager of The Reds, has had to swallow a bitter pill as Chelsea managed to snatch away two defensive midfield targets with enticing offers.
Initially, Liverpool was on the verge of securing the services of Moises Caicedo, a defensive midfielder from Brighton and Hove Albion. The club based at Anfield was willing to break the record for the highest transfer fee in the Premier League by offering £110 million to Brighton.
However, Caicedo declined to join Liverpool, opting for Chelsea instead, which offered a more enticing deal of £115 million. The Blues successfully secured Caicedo’s signature, leaving Liverpool disappointed.
Not only Caicedo, but Liverpool once again faced disappointment in their pursuit of Romeo Lavia from Southampton. Chelsea once more influenced Lavia’s transfer with an extraordinary offer from their owner, Todd Boehly.
Having suffered two blows from Chelsea, Liverpool is now seeking revenge. It is rumored that they are trying to capture Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina, a player targeted by Manchester United. Amrabat seems to be getting closer to Anfield.
Liverpool will compete fiercely with MU to acquire the Moroccan player. MU is still struggling to negotiate for Amrabat due to the hindrance caused by the failed sale of center-back Harry Maguire to West Ham United. However, financial constraints do not hinder Liverpool.
Apart from Amrabat, The Reds are also set to recruit Wataru Endo, a Japanese player from VfB Stuttgart. An agreement has almost been reached with a fee of around £16 million.
Klopp is in dire need of two midfield additions following the departure of two veteran midfielders, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who chose to move to Saudi Arabia.
Liverpool needs to fill the void left by Fabinho and Henderson. Currently, they lack a competent defensive midfielder. Endo and Amrabat are considered suitable to complement the team’s midfield.
The summer of 2023 has seen Liverpool recruit Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai as midfield additions. However, neither of them serves primarily as a defensive midfielder. The arrival of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai is more about replacing the roles of Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita.