Liverpool news: Double transfer demand received in £100m snub as rivals beaten to signing

Liverpool have received clear instruction as to how they should go about their next priority signing this summer as another new face joins the club

Liverpool's pre-season is set to take off just as a fresh round of transfer rumours steal the headlines around Anfield. Andoni Iraola's side officially get their summer preparations underway with a friendly fixture against Sunderland in Nashville next Saturday.

Just as the Reds' contingent of World Cup stars return from the tournament, many are due back in the United States for their summer schedule. But even after the signings of Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz, Iraola is in need of more new faces through the door in the coming weeks.

The pressure is well and truly on for the new manager to improve upon Arne Slot's second season. Mirror Football looks at the latest murmurs out of Merseyside as Liverpool line up more business, including one new face who's already signed on the dotted line.

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McAteer delivers double transfer demand

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has told his old club to prioritise upgrades down the right flank above all else this summer. The departure of Mohamed Salah has created a vacuum in the position, while the Reds were repeatedly left short-handed at right-back last term amid injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.

They've already recruited Munoz, who is capable of playing down that wing. However, that hasn't stopped rumours linking the likes of Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola as more prestigious candidates to fill in on the right.

"I think the areas of concern are down Liverpool's right-hand side, having lost Trent [Alexander-Arnold] two seasons ago (sic)," said McAteer. "It vacated a big, big space which we obviously thought Conor Bradley would slot into.

"You felt Conor was ready to go into that position but unfortunately through injury and performances he's not been able to do that. And then Jeremie Frimpong came in.

"He's not an ideal right-back in defensive situations. He's more of a wing-back, more of an attacking player. So he's had to fill in and we've had [Dominik] Szobsozlai play right-back too so it's not been great.

"I think that had unsettled Salah as well and then Salah's obviously gone. So that right-hand side is an area we need to strengthen, both in the full-back and the wide position.

"There's been no real talk about a full-back, but certainly Diomande has been spoken about quite a lot to come into that area."

Diomande, who would cost in excess of £100million, was being touted for a move to Liverpool but PSG appear to have since taken pole position in that race. That's left Iraola back at square one in his search for a Salah successor, while there's little movement regarding a new right-back arriving anytime soon.

"Diomande did okay during the World Cup," added McAteer. "It was difficult for Ivory Coast. He showed flashes of what he can do, but the thing about the younger players in this tournament is the likes of [Ayyoub] Bouaddi and [Lamine] Yamal seemed to take the headlines and kind of took the spotlight off him a little bit, which is not a bad thing.

"But the fact that you're looking at maybe paying £100m for him means that you're kind of looking for him to set the world alight at that kind of price on the biggest stage, and the World Cup was his platform. It was difficult to judge him on his World Cup performances, but he's definitely a young talent that needs to be looked at."

Speaking to Betarades.gr, McAteer recommended France winger Barcola as the superior signing: "Between Diomande and Barcola I would probably go for Barcola right now. I don't think Liverpool need to buy potential anymore. I think we found out last season that potential doesn't necessarily work all the time.

"You kind of need to buy a bit more of a finished article and someone you can trust a little bit more. I just think Barcola's performances in this World Cup have just shown more maturity than Diomande."

Liverpool win race for Bryan

One player who has already joined the Reds' cause this past week is teenage talent Isaiah Bryan. The 14-year-old cut ties with West Brom this summer and has now joined Liverpool in a move reportedly costing £200,000.

Bryan, whose move was confirmed on Instagram, is expected to link up with Liverpool's under-15s. And it's alleged they beat Aston Villa to the centre-back's signature after a tense race between the Premier League rivals.

The reported £200,000 figure represents a compensation fee, rather than an official transfer sum. Upon joining the setup at Kirkby, Bryan wrote on his Instagram: "Proud to announce that I’m joining Liverpool Football Club.

"It’s an honour to become part of a great club. I’m grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to get started and meet my team-mates. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey."

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