Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended1533833185

Liverpool transfer news - as it happened: Deadline day ushers in quiet end to the summer at Anfield

All the latest Liverpool transfer news and rumours

Samuel Lovett
Thursday 09 August 2018 15:46 BST
Comments
Summer transfer window 2018: Latest Premier League deals and rumours round-up

Your support helps us to tell the story

My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.

Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.

Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond

Head shot of Eric Garcia

Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Liverpool have been proactive in the summer transfer window, but cannot be ruled out of any further business on deadline day.

They remain interested in Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, and could yet look to raid their biggest rivals if he suddenly becomes available today. Despite making plenty of signings this summer already, Klopp has not yet replaced Philippe Coutinho and Martial may just be that man.

Christian Pulisic is also an option, with the Borussia Dortmund midfielder wanted at Anfield.

The Reds have already signed goalkeeper Alisson, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita – who finally sealed his move from RB Leipzig a year after agreeing it – but the Anfield door remains open for business. Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir also remains on the radar, but Chelsea are also in the hunt and it’s far from given that he’ll leave the French side this summer.

Player departures remain a possibility too, with Divock Origi, Danny Ings and Sheyi Ojo looking for moves away.

Follow all the latest Liverpool transfer news below.


Please allow a moment for the blog to load.

1533809638

Kyle Walker has said that Liverpool’s busy transfer window should be taken as a “compliment” by Manchester City.

The Merseyside club have spent more than £160m on transfers this summer, bringing in the likes of Naby Keita, Fabinho, Xherdan Shaqiri and Alisson as they look to close the gap with Pep Guardiola’s men.

And Walker reckons City’s rivals are now in the process of mimicking the Premier League champions.

“I think it’s a compliment to us because they’re trying to keep pace,” he said.

“Teams are trying to catch us up now. We did so well last season and broke so many records.

“Other teams are trying to adapt to us so we need to try and bring a little bit of surprise to them but not change it too much because I feel that how we played football last season was like a computer game.

“It looked easy. I can assure you that on the field it wasn’t; there was a lot of running and a lot of hard work put onto it on the training field.”

Samuel Lovett9 August 2018 11:13
1533815495

Roma had "no choice" other than to sell Alisson to Liverpool, according to club president James Pallotta.

Liverpool splashed out £66m on the Brazilian, making him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper before Chelsea went one better in their £71m deal for Kepa.

Having claimed Liverpool landed an "unbelievable bargain" in signing Mohamed Salah for £37m last summer, now the Roma president has suggested Allison's departure was out of his hands.

“I liked Salah a lot,” said Pallotta, speaking on Roma's official YouTube channel. “Unbeknown to a lot of people, or a lot of people don’t seem to know, is that we didn’t have a choice in him leaving.

“It was difficult. He had one year left and he asked to leave and he felt like he had something to prove back in the Premier League.

“It was difficult for that. I think Alisson’s not an easy one.

"People outside think you have choices and a lot of the time you don’t so you just try to make the best of it.

“It’s not an easy thing – there’s a lot of thought that goes into that kind of stuff and a lot of the time, you’ve just got no choice.”

Samuel Lovett9 August 2018 12:51
1533818611

Liverpool take to training pitch

Liverpool's players are at Melwood and have just started today's training session. There will be no further incoming players at Anfield, but late moves could materialise for Danny Ings and Divock Origi, who have been made available to other clubs.

Crystal Palace were one of the teams linked signing Ings, but will not be making a deadline day bid for the English forward as they continue their pursuit of Jordan Ayew. 

Jack Watson9 August 2018 13:43
1533819627

Sheyi Ojo and Mark Grujic 

There's no interest in Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo and Mark Grujic, who have both been made available to other clubs. Aston Villa had shown some interest in Ojo, but a move is not looking likely today.

Grujic is keen to stay at Anfield and fight for his place in Jurgen Klopp's side. The winger was on course to re-join Cardiff after helping them gain promotion to the Premier League, however Neil Warnock says a "contract issue" has caused the deal to fall apart. The Serbian could still depart later in the window with Lazio interested in bringing him to Italy before the continental deadline on August 31. 

Jack Watson9 August 2018 14:00
1533820331

Fekir update

It is highly unlikely that Liverpool will make a last ditch move for Nabil Fekir. Only an injury to Mohamed Salah in training could force Jurgen Klopp to dip back into the transfer market, presumably. 

Fekir, however, has not ruled out a move away from Lyon, with Chelsea reported to be interested in the French attacking midfielder. 

"As you can see, I am in Lyon. I am very good here," he told the club website on Tuesday.

"But the transfer window is still long and everything goes very fast in football. We do not know what will happen in the future but I am very good at OL.

"I feel great in the group. We have very good players, there is a good atmosphere."

Jack Watson9 August 2018 14:12
1533823008

Daniel Sturridge staying put as he plots route back into the first team 

With just one year remaining on his contract at Liverpool, it was expected that Daniel Sturridge probably wouldn't be a Liverpool player on the final day of the transfer window. In fact, he could be playing his way back into Jurgen Klopp's first team.

"Daniel is an outstanding player. If he is fit, he will play a role in the team," said Klopp, who is hopeful the Liverpool forward can make a big contribution this season.

"Does he have to play 50-something games? No. But hopefully he will play a few really good ones. That is the plan."

Sturridge has been impressing in pre-season in the absence of Roberto Firmino, but is not getting carried away by his early form. 

"The hunger will never change. I'm taking every day as it comes with a positive mindset. That's all I'm going to do," Sturridge said after impressing on the club's summer tour of the US.

"Pre-season has been going great but, you know, I'm not getting too carried away. It's just great to be part of the club and helping and making sure that we can win games."

Jack Watson9 August 2018 14:56
1533823593

Late bit for Fekir

We knew this one could rumble on...

Chelsea have had a late bid for Lyon's Nabil Fekir rejected, according to French journalist Pipe Sierra. 

He claims that Chelsea fell short of Lyon's €75m asking price and says that Chelsea are unwilling to spend that much on the French international. 

Jack Watson9 August 2018 15:06
1533824940

Salah nominated for Champions League award

Mohamed Salah is in fine company alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the three players nominated as the Champions League forward of the season. 

Salah scored ten times during Liverpool's run to the Champions League final in Kyiv, where he was unfortunately forced off with a shoulder injury as a result of a challenge with Sergio Ramos.

Luka Modric, Kevin de Bruyne and Toni Kroos are nominated as the tournament's best midfielders. Real Madrid trio Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo are in the running to be the best defender, and Keylor Navas, Gianluigi Buffon, along with former Roma goalkeeper Alison Becker, are nominated as the best three goalkeepers. 

Jack Watson9 August 2018 15:29
1533826208

Newcastle fail to land Liverpool defender

Poor Rafa, will Mike Ashley ever spend big?

The Newcastle Chronicle report that Rafa Benitez asked to sign Ragnar Klavan and Stoke's Erik Pieters, but is thought to be 'seething' after Newcastle failed to land either target.

Former Newcastle coach and passionate Geordie Dean Saunders said on TalkSPORT that Benitez will be understandably furious with this summer's business. "Rafa, the way he is, he doesn't mess around. There's a car crash coming at Newcastle."

Jack Watson9 August 2018 15:50
1533827683

Ings absent from training

Page one of chapter one on how to force through a late transfer is being put into place by Danny Ings. He was absent from Melwood as Liverpool trained this afternoon because he was waiting on stand-by in case a last minute medical was arranged. As it stands, neither Southampton or Crystal Palace have arranged a medical for the forward who is looking to leave Anfield.

Palace are close to announcing the signing of Swansea's Jordan Ayew on loan, and Southampton are yet to make significant progress in last-minute deal to sign Ings. 

Jack Watson9 August 2018 16:14

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in