Two summers ago, Liverpool were being heavily linked with a move for Jude Bellingham. Whether the Reds would’ve signed the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund man if they had managed to get Champions League football will never be known, but in the end, they missed out and he went to Real Madrid.
The midfield was overhauled, however, thanks to the arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, as well as Water Endō. It means there isn’t loads to do this time around, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to do.
Martín Zubimendi
It seemed as though Liverpool were on the verge of signing Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad last summer, only for the deal to fall through after the club demanded that the player pay his release clause himself. Hence, it seems as though it is the worst-kept secret in football that he is going to move to Arsenal this summer, but might the Reds return to Spain to secure the defensive midfielder’s signature this time around?
When Zubimendi didn’t sign, it forced Arne Slot to adapt the role of Ryan Gravenberch, who proved to be a revelation, but a specialist six would be a good signing.
@fitbudhq Zubimendi to liverpool back on #zubimendi #liverpoolfc #footballtiktok #premierleague ♬ original sound – FITBUD
The Basque midfielder may still end up at Arsenal and the fact that Mikel Arteta is from the same region as him certainly suggests there is a link there. Yet we also know that no one really leaves Liverpool’s scouting books until they either get too old, retire, or sign for us anyway.
It wouldn’t be the most outrageous thing in the world for Zubimendi to end up at Anfield after all, which would be an excellent move for both parties.
It would allow Gravenberch to be released further forward and offer some protection to the defence in a way that the Dutchman hasn’t always been able to do.
Morgan Gibbs-White
Nottingham Forest have been the shock package in the Premier League this season and Morgan Gibbs-White has been a large part of the reason for that. The attacking midfielder’s career began at Wolverhampton Wanderers before he gained experience on loan at both Swansea City and Sheffield United before joining Forest in 2022.
He is still only 25-years-old, which means that he isn’t exactly past his best in Premier League terms. Having been born in Stafford, he will also tick the box as being a homegrown player, which is really important for the squad nowadays.
Liverpool have concrete interest in signing Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White. #NFFC
[via @footyinsider247] pic.twitter.com/Uyqu5zogDD
— Forest Review (@Forest_Review) January 1, 2025
The biggest barrier to signing him is likely to be his price tag, owing to the fact that Forest can ask for a large fee for him. There is also the fact that he grew up as a Manchester United fan, which will be difficult for some Liverpool supporters to stomach. On top of both of those things is the likelihood that Forest will qualify for the Champions League, currently sitting in third place.
If they pull that off, then they will want to keep the squad that got them there together for as long as possible, meaning that any move for Gibbs-White is likely to be delayed for as long as possible.
Frenkie de Jong
According to the Spanish newspaper El Nacional, Barcelona have given the green light to sell Frenkie de Jong this summer. If true, that might well be music to the ears of fellow Dutchman Arne Slot, who will likely be keen to bring in some of his own signings. Whilst Slot has been superb in his first season, building the club to the League Cup final as well as almost certainly winning the Premier League, one of the main areas that he’s been found wanting is in his use of his squad.
It seems as though he just doesn’t trust certain players, so having some he does trust would be a big help.
There is also the fact that the Reds were rumoured to want to sign de Jong a couple of years ago and, as mentioned with Zubimendi, no one ever really falls off the club’s list of potential transfers.
Having won the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup with Ajax, as well as helping the club reach the Champions League semi-finals, de Jong was signed by Barcelona for €75 million in 2019. He won La Liga with them in 2023, so it’s fair to say that he knows what it takes to win the league in different countries. His experience and intelligence would be an excellent addition to the Liverpool midfield.
