turn, Bradley Barcola latest, Ferran Torres pursuit

Liverpool have already added Jeremy Jacquet to their defensive ranks this summer.

But with Virgil van Dijk ageing and Giovanni Leoni recovering from a long-term injury, some reports have claimed centre-back cover could be a target area in the transfer market.

Sporting CP star Ousmane Diomande, not to be confused with Leipzig winger Yan, has been linked with a switch to Anfield in the past.

But reports from Portugal now claim that Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks for the defender in a deal worth £43million.

Most of Liverpool's players have jetted off to the United States for their pre-season tour, but four of the travelling cohort are currently receiving treatment for serious injuries.

Eyebrows were raised when Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Stefan Bajcetic and Watru Endo were included in the 31-player squad.

Find out the reason for this decision here.

Liverpool have been on the hunt for a winger this summer and West Ham's Crysencio Summerville was one of the names mooted.

But he now appears to be off the table as The Athletic reports that he is set to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

The deal is reportedly worth £68million and the Netherlands international will soon undergo a medical ahead of penning a long-term contract.

Reports claim a group of investors, led by British millionaire Amit Bhatia, the son-in-law of QPR owner and steel tycoon billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, are seeking to purchase a stake in Liverpool.

The Financial Times states that the consortium is in talks to buy a significant minority stake in the club. If the deal were to go through, LFC could be valued at more than $6billion, roughly £4.48bn.

Bhatia is reportedly hiring advisors to work on the offer and is in talks with Fenway Sports Group. He agreed to transfer his existing shareholding in QPR to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam prior to advancing talks with Liverpool.

FSG confirmed the interest in a statement to the FT. This reads: "An investment consortium led, managed, and represented by Amit Bhatia has expressed interest in making a strategic minority investment in Liverpool Football Club."

Reds hero Andy Robertson left the club this summer after nine trophy-filled years and joined Tottenham.

But the Liverpool fan favourite had been at the World Cup with Scotland and so he has only arrived at Spurs today.

The London club posted on social media to welcome the left-back, who undertook his first training session with his new team-mates in a kit that will still appear strange to the Anfield faithful.

In a welcome move away from the repeated battles putting Liverpool on a collision course with PSG, the French giants are reportedly not in the running to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer.

L'Equipe has reported the 18-year-old Morocco midfielder, who blew fans away with his mature performances at World Cup 2026, is not a priority target for Les Parisiens.

And that could give the Reds a free run at his signature, which is believed to be valued at £69million.

Lille still have other Premier League admirers in the running after Arsenal and Manchester City reportedly registered interest in the player.

However, Andoni Iraola will be relieved to learn the teenager is one supposed target whom his club won't have to beat PSG to this summer.

Liverpool have completed a move for highly-rated Colombian teenager Samuel Martinez.

The Reds have agreed a fee of around £750,000 ($1m) with Atletico Nacional for the 17-year-old attacking midfielder, who was courted by a host of leading European clubs including Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

Martinez underwent medical tests at the weekend on Merseyside before his transfer officially went through. He has signed a five-year contract, while as part of the deal Atletico Nacional will receive a percentage of any future sale of the player.

The youngster will remain at the Colombian side for a further 12 months and will arrive during next summer's transfer window after turning 18 in April.

Liverpool will have input about his development in the interim period, with the player expected to take part in the U17 World Cup later this year.

Martinez was part of the Colombia side that won the South American U17 Championships in April, claiming an assist in both the semi-final against Brazil and final win over Argentina.

Dominik Szoboszlai has stubbed out any speculation regarding a potential Liverpool exit after penning a new contract.

The club's emerging commander-in-chief has tied himself to the Reds on a new five-year agreement.

That will keep the Hungarian at Anfield until 2031 and should ensure the playmaker sees out his best years in red.

And his agent, Matthias Esterhazi, has reassured fans by saying it's completely natural for a player of his client's quality to attract speculation after he was touted for a move to Real Madrid earlier this year.

"If you have a player like him, rumors about the big clubs are completely normal," he told WinWinSports. "As for his future, only he and I can speak formally. "Ultimately, he extended his contract and that says everything about what he wanted to do, because no one forced him to extend the contract."

Liverpool have been told Alex Scott would become a "major asset" as speculation over the Bournemouth midfielder's future continues to mount.

It emerged on Tuesday that England under-21 international Scott - a target for a host of Premier League clubs - had rejected the offer of a new contract with the Cherries.

The 22-year-old, who arrived from Bristol City for £25million in 2023, has two years remaining on his current deal with Bournemouth having made an extension a priority.

New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola worked with Scott throughout his time in charge at Bournemouth, while the Reds were linked with an interest in the player earlier in his career.

And ex-Liverpool forward Emile Heskey is convinced his former club should be in the conversation for the in-demand midfielder.

See what Heskey said here.

Another midfield name being bandied about the Liverpool rumour mill this summer is Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall.

The Standard reported Bergvall was disappointed with Spurs' reaction to his transfer request earlier this summer.

And as the Swede prepares to join up with his club for pre-season, talk is already building of a potential split.

Liverpool are among those rumoured to be taking an interest in the player, who would reportedly cost in excess of £50million. And that valuation appears accurate after Tottenham reportedly turned down a Newcastle bid of £47m for the player, while Nottingham Forest have also made enquiries.

The problem for Bergvall is he allegedly wants more time in a No. 8 role, something Roberto De Zerbi doesn't appear willing to give him.

However, he'd also likely struggle to get minutes in that position at Anfield, either, with Domink Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch forming a powerful and versatile rotation at present.

Alexis Mac Allister's father has firmly denied claims that the Liverpool midfielder is seeking a move to Real Madrid.

Argentina international Mac Allister was part of the side that lost the World Cup final 1-0 to Spain on Sunday. Reports subsequently emerged that he had told international colleagues he played his last game for the Reds.

Social media speculation on Monday also claimed that Liverpool would seek around £85m for the former Brighton & Hove Albion player if Real Madrid make a move for the 27-year-old this summer transfer window.

However, the player's father Carlos has now rejected those reports, insisting his son is only concentrating on an end-of-season holiday before linking back up with Andoni Iraola, his new head coach on Merseyside, next month.

"We have not spoken to any Real Madrid official, what is being circulated about us holding talks with Real Madrid is not true," Mac Allister Snr told 365Scores. "Alexis is still on a two-season contract with Liverpool.

"Currently, he'll get some rest for a few days and then go back to playing in the Premier League, that's the current situation."

Mac Allister is expected to have around three weeks off after the World Cup, meaning he will return to club duty in mid-August, just under a fortnight before the Reds kick off their new Premier League campaign at Newcastle.

Now that the World Cup is over, it appears Chelsea are ramping up their efforts to sign Maxence Lacroix.

The France defender has been linked with Liverpool already this summer, though the Blues have always looked the most serious suitors.

Despite the arrival of Jeremy Jacquet at Anfield this summer, another more senior name could prove handy in central defence.

However, Liverpool are limited to just one more senior non-homegrown signing without sales, with that space looking more likely to be dedicated to a Mohamed Salah replacement at present.

It's reported Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish held talks with Chelsea representative Behdad Eghbali in New York, with the Blues willing to offer £55m for the player, just short of his supposed £60m valuation.

That gives a sense of how much Liverpool would have to invest in a potential Virgil van Dijk successor, though a move looks unlikely at this point.

PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has taken over negotiations with Red Bull in a bid to get a deal for Yan Diomande over the line.

That's according to TEAMtalk, which has also reported Liverpool are on course for more disappointment in their transfer pursuit.

Just when the Reds had been given fresh hope in their hunt for the Ivory Coast winger, their dreams could be dashed once again.

That's after the player's entourage reportedly informed the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City the forward is only interested in a move to Paris this summer.

Personal terms are not believed to be an issue for the likes of PSG or Liverpool. However, coming to an agreement with RB Leipzig, who are still desperate to agree a contract extension with their player, has proved more problematic.

Liverpool midfielder Kyle Kelly is close to agreeing a loan move to Forest Green Rovers as the Reds continue to assess their Academy options for the campaign.

Kelly is expected to spend the season at the National League team, who are managed by former Wales international Robbie Savage.

The 20-year-old, who has been at the Liverpool Academy since 2018, put pen to paper on a new one-year deal earlier this month after uncertainty over his future with his contract up this summer.

He was hampered by injury for the first half of the last Premier League 2 campaign but became a regular in the defensive midfield role from the New Year onwards.

While yet to feature in a senior club game, Kelly has the rare distinction of already being a full international having made his debut for St Kitts and Nevis in March 2024, and scored his first goal for the country in March.

Another Academy midfielder, 21-year-old Tommy Pilling, is also on the move, and is likely to complete a permanent transfer in the coming days to Slovakian top tier side MFK Zemplin Michalovce.

Pilling has been at the Academy since he was five years old and progressed through the youth ranks. He played for the senior team in a friendly against Athletic Bilbao last summer and has trained with the first team on a regular basis.

On the topic of Alex Scott's current transfer quagmire, details regarding Bournemouth's aims for an extension have emerged.

Scott, 22, rejected the offer of a new deal at the Vitality Stadium this week. However, there may yet be an outcome that sees him sign fresh terms on the south coast that eventually benefits both Bournemouth and a suitor like Liverpool.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported the Cherries would be willing to insert a release clause into any prospective extension as long as Scott signs on the dotted line.

It makes sense from Bournemouth's point of view given that would effectively guarantee a certain amount for the midfielder and rule out the possibility of him leaving for free in 2028.

Liverpool may not be as favourable towards that idea considering they (and other admirers) may prefer to negotiate for less than his supposed £80m valuation this summer.

The Reds have a trump card in Andoni Iraola, who knows the player intimately from their time together at Bournemouth, though a deal still looks difficult at this stage.

In addition to Ramsay and Chambers (see previous post), it's alleged fellow tourists James McConnell and Ifeanyi Ndukwe are also up for grabs on temporary terms this summer.

Austrian centre-back Ndukwe, 18, officially joined Liverpool this summer after a deal was agreed in January.

However, his stay in Andoni Iraola's squad could prove short if any club decides to pursue a loan for the defender.

Likewise, The Athletic reported 21-year-old midfielder McConnell could be farmed out in pursuit of more minutes after spending the majority of last season on loan at Ajax.

Calvin Ramsay and Luke Chambers could be put in Liverpool's shop window this pre-season after travelling to Chicago.

The defensive duo are both part of Andoni Iraola's summer squad but could each be on the move this summer.

The Athletic has reported the Reds could be willing to listen to loan offers for either player.

Right-back Ramsay is understood to be a target for clubs in Scotland, while left-back Chambers is reportedly on the radar of Queens Park Rangers.

A potential reunion between Andoni Iraola and Alex Scott appears increasingly likely after the English midfielder rejected the offer of a contract extension at Bournemouth.

Just about every top-tier Premier League club has been linked with the Cherries playmaker this summer, including the Reds.

Sky Sports News reported Scott, who turns 23 in August, won't be penning fresh terms at the Vitality Stadium.

The former Bristol City man does have two years remaining on his current deal, though that may be little enough to convince Bournemouth it's in their best interests to cash in this summer.

It's previously been reported Bournemouth value their midfield star at £80million, though that could prove too costly for Liverpool at present given there are other areas of the squad in greater need of investment.

Roma's Manu Kone is a player who has repeatedly been linked with a move to Anfield in recent years.

However, L'Equipe has reported it's bitter rivals Manchester United who are at the head of the queue for his signature after already holding formal talks with the Giallorossi.

Kone's stock is high after an impressive World Cup, where he deputised well for Aurelien Tchouameni for a spell.

As such, Roma may be tempted into making the most of that buzz and cashing in as his signature will reportedly fetch in excess of £40million.

That being said, United's midfield plunder could well continue with the former Borussia Monchengladbach man despite them already adding both Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos to their ranks this summer.

The primary alternative to Yan Diomande appears to be Bradley Barcola - though the Frenchman looks likely to be the more expensive of the two.

The trump card running in Liverpool's favour is the fact Barcola has less than two years remaining on his PSG contract.

By all accounts, the France winger appears open to leaving the Parc des Princes if it secures him more minutes at another high-calibre club.

But The Athletic has reported PSG likely view Elliot Anderson's £116million move to Manchester City as a sort of benchmark that will allow them to squeeze more out of their man.

He has, after all, won two Champions League titles and several Ligue 1 titles already in his career.

It's uncertain if the Reds would be willing to go quite that high in their outlay for Barcola, particularly when he'd most likely be asked to switch from his preferred left wing as a Mohamed Salah successor.

It was on, then it was off, and now it's back on again.

Yan Diomande is the transfer gift that keeps giving. At least according to Fabrizio Romano, who says the RB Leipzig winger's proposed move to PSG isn't necessarily signed, sealed or delivered.

While Les Parisiens may have had personal terms agreed with the Ivorian as far back as early June, it's a different story when it comes to Leipzig themselves.

The Germans have agreed to nothing and are still desperate to tie their star down to a new contract themselves.

That could give Liverpool the opening they need to resurrect a move of their own, though a price-tag in excess of £100million for the teenager could still prove problematic.

Another day, another opportunity fans are hoping Liverpool will take to conduct a raft of transfer business.

A number of players who have only just returned from the United States are suddenly back for their first pre-season under the Spaniard.

However, there are also a number of irons in the fire as the Reds look to keep adding to their ranks.

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