Liverpool still face a substantial amount of transfer business if they are to build the foundations for a successful season.
The transfer window shuts at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1, leaving the Reds less than two weeks to complete a significant amount of work.
Their main priority is to sign a wide forward capable of replacing Mohamed Salah, although Liverpool may also look to add another winger.
It has been a relatively quiet summer at Anfield so far. The club’s only additions have been the £34.5million signing of winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna and defender Ronald Araujo, who has joined on loan from Barcelona for the season.
Jeremy Jacquet also arrived this summer after Liverpool agreed a £60m move for him from Rennes in January. Although the deal was arranged earlier, its finances will be recorded in this year’s accounts, taking the club’s summer spending to just over £100m.
So what else remains on Liverpool’s transfer agenda? Daily Mail Sport’s Merseyside expert Lewis Steele examines the key questions…
Andoni Iraola’s squad could still do with plenty of additions with just a few weeks to go in the transfer window
The Reds look particularly light on the wing, despite the £35million signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna
What’s happening with Liverpool’s winger pursuit?
Bradley Barcola is desperate to join Liverpool, according to sources, with the Paris Saint-Germain and France forward said to be ‘all in’ on making the transfer happen.
He has been Liverpool’s leading target for some time. The interest dates back to the club’s decision to make an £86m approach for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, who has since moved to Real Madrid for approximately £120m.
PSG, however, have remained firm over their valuation of Barcola. The French and European champions believe he is worth around £145m, a figure Liverpool consider excessive.
The Parisian club are well stocked in attack after signing Mika Godts from Ajax, World Cup hero Ferran Torres from Barcelona and Monaco forward Maghnes Akliouche.
Akliouche is another player Liverpool explored earlier in the summer, although it was always apparent that the young Frenchman preferred a move to Paris.
Those new arrivals could encourage PSG to lower their asking price for Barcola. Liverpool have also previously shown interest in his 18-year-old team-mate Ibrahim Mbaye.
Bradley Barcola (left) is desperate to join Liverpool and has been the top target for some time
Could Liverpool sign both Barcola and Mbaye?
The situation with Barcola is relatively clear: Liverpool want him, the player wants to move to Anfield and PSG are willing to negotiate if their valuation is met.
Mbaye’s situation is less straightforward, with two contrasting versions of events emerging.
French newspaper reports on Tuesday claimed that Mbaye had an agreement to join Liverpool. Sources in England have played down those suggestions, insisting that the club’s interest has so far been exploratory.
The signings of Munoz and Araujo accelerated quickly, so perhaps that could happen again. For example, Liverpool first made contact with Araujo’s camp four days before he flew to England for his medical.
What we do know is that Liverpool will likely begin the season with wing options of Cody Gakpo, Rio Ngumoha and Munoz, with the out-of-favour Federico Chiesa and young Lewis Koumas lurking in the background.
Two more wingers, especially with Gakpo subject to interest from Tottenham, would certainly be welcome. Maybe the dominoes will soon start to fall…
Reporting in France and sources in England differ in their view of Liverpool’s pursuit of Ibrahim Mbaye (right)
Will Liverpool sign a midfielder?
Curtis Jones is on the verge of joining Inter for around £30m after a summer-long back and forth.
The England international, who joined Liverpool aged nine, has had his heart set on a move to Serie A for some time after failing to regularly establish himself as a starter at Anfield.
The Italian champions had a bid of around £21m turned down earlier in the summer and, if they sign Jones, he will be the third Englishman they have bought this window after John Stones and Djed Spence.
Will they sign a midfielder to replace Jones? As it stands, no – though that could change if a deal becomes available in the last week of the market.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton has long been linked with a move but the Selhurst Park club would want a huge fee of around £100m – and there is no indication Liverpool are interested anyway.
Many other midfielders have been mooted but it seems more likely than not that the Reds do not sign a midfielder this window.
That would mean two youngsters will be promoted. Trey Nyoni, who excelled in pre-season and was perhaps Liverpool’s stand-out player on the American tour, is pushing for more minutes and looks more than capable. The 19-year-old has also had plenty of interest.
It is understood James McConnell’s loan move to Championship side Preston has been kiboshed – for now at least – by Liverpool in the last days despite regular game-time being promised.
North End had a deal agreed and met the player but Liverpool pulled the plug.
James McConnell’s proposed loan to Preston was cancelled by Liverpool, with McConnell having impressed Iraola
The young midfielder, who spent time at Ajax last season, knocked on the door of boss Andoni Iraola last Friday and was told he is part of his plans after impressing in training and there will be minutes for him in the first team this year.
McConnell also had a meeting with sporting director Richard Hughes, who stressed there is no official pecking order in the midfield so both Nyoni and McConnell can push for minutes.
Will they recoup any money?
Alexis Mac Allister was linked with Real Madrid but nothing was forthcoming and his father, Carlos, has publicly denied any talks with other clubs. Mac Allister has two years remaining on his deal and no new contract is on the table.
The sale of Jones represents a good cash injection, especially for a player with just one year remaining on his deal.
There is also the Gakpo conundrum, with Spurs sniffing around.
Harvey Elliott has failed to take his chance in pre-season after returning from a year to forget at Aston Villa. Some of that might be to do with the fact he has barely played in the last 12 months and his fitness level is not where it should be.
Chiesa started the US tour well with a goal against Sunderland. Speaking after that, he said he was committed to the club and wanted to prove people wrong. But there are a few clubs monitoring his situation and, as ever, Chiesa’s future looks uncertain.
Federico Chiesa has long been out of favour at Liverpool and his future is uncertain
Any other loans?
Young defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe is on the verge of joining La Liga outfit Levante on a season-long loan.
The 18-year-old has been a revelation in pre-season, playing regularly at the heart of defence and winning praise from Iraola.
But Ndukwe does not have a work permit due to a complex new set of regulations. He signed from Austria Vienna in January.
Levante are set to win the race ahead of multiple other clubs across Europe. Liverpool will review the loan in January, by which point he should have the required points to play in England.
Kieran Morrison is on the verge of a loan to Sheffield Wednesday, who are racing to get the winger registered in time to make their squad to face Bradford on Thursday night.
Koumas has a queue of clubs wanting to take him on loan. But his future is less clear-cut as, like McConnell, Iraola has taken a shine to him in pre-season and he could be asked to stick around.
Defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe is set to move on loan to Levante and is a player to keep an eye on
The former Hull, Birmingham and Stoke loanee, son of former Premier League midfielder Jason, could see his situation change if Liverpool were to be busy in terms of incomings.
Defender Luke Chambers also has suitors but it is believed he will not go on loan for the sake of it. Iraola likes the 22-year-old, who excelled on loan at Charlton last season and can play centre half and left back.
Calvin Ramsay is another on the list of potential exits, with St Mirren tracking him, though fellow full back Owen Beck is set to stay after a setback in his recovery from injury.
