Reliable Brighton journalist rubbishes report of Liverpool move for £40m midfielder ❌
Well... that didn't last long!
Liverpool fans were given some late hope with regard to the transfer window after a report from Tony Banks at the Express claimed that the Reds had begun talks with Brighton & Hove Albion over Yves Bissouma.
The talented midfielder, available for £40m according to the publication, had been heavily linked with Jurgen Klopp’s men in rumours fuelled by Georginio Wijnaldum’s exit earlier in the summer.
Any excitement supporters felt was quickly quelled by The Athletic journalist Andy Naylor, who rubbished such claims on Twitter.
By now, many will be at least vaguely familiar with the 24-year-old Malian who is employed in a box-to-box role for Graham Potter’s plucky Seagulls outfit.
Having amassed 36 appearances in 38 league games last term, the midfielder seemed an ideal replacement - at least as far as durability is concerned - for our once uber reliable No.5.
As we near the dreaded close of the summer window, however, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Liverpool will engage in any late business.
We’ve been surprised before, of course, with few close to the club catching news of Thiago Alcantara’s switch from Bayern Munich.
Though, there’s a sense that, following the promising starts from Naby Keita and Harvey Elliott, the club has enough in the way of numbers to compete on all fronts.
Safety in numbers works on paper until you consider the injury history of Liverpool’s available midfielders.
As much as the Merseysiders’ prior campaign was something of a freak season for injuries, the records of our Guinean international and fellow backup option Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are far from encouraging.
We’ve covered the recent records of our starting midfield trio here at EOTK Insider previously and so history certainly suggests we’ll need to rely on our backup at some stage in the season.
The early signs have proved somewhat encouraging from Keita, who has already played nearly a third of the total minutes amassed from the last season. Admittedly, the No.8 struggled with injuries and lost faith after his performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, so it’s an indicator that will have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
If the 26-year-old is Klopp’s answer to a Wijnaldum replacement, he’s far from being a bad one judging by the opening wins against Norwich City and Burnley.
Of course, there will be far tougher challenges ahead and we’d be potentially requiring the midfielder to step in and deliver a string of games where necessary.
Curtis Jones was previously discussed as another potential option for Liverpool to consider to fill that very same role, though the young Englishman has encountered little in the way of minutes since the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the second-half of the 2020/21 campaign.
The numbers are technically there for Liverpool, and Klopp may very well already possess his Wijnaldum replacement, but the club would once again be gambling this season.
The Reds will have to hope that they won’t be looking back at the summer window with a feeling of regret.
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