Liverpool are facing transfer disappointment after seeing efforts to sign a Serie A goalkeeper reportedly identified by Arne Slot as his No 1 replacement for Alisson Becker rejected, with the stopper now closing on a move to Juventus instead.
The Merseysiders are preparing for what they hope will be a bright new era under the Dutchman after he was chosen as the man to replace Jurgen Klopp. And while he has been chosen for his similarities to his precedessor – both tactically and in the way he manages his players, it seems he faces a tough induction at Liverpool as he gets down to business.
The Reds enjoyed one of the most successful periods in their history under the German, winning seven pieces of silverware, and reaching four European finals, with the club somewhat unfortunate not to have won even more than they actually did under Klopp’s leadership.
As if stepping into the legendary boss’ shoes was not hard enough, it seems Slot is set to inherit a number of immediate problems with his squad as he looks convince several star names to continue at Anfield.
And while Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip have already departed as free agents at the end of their deals, Liverpool still facing something of uncertainty around three other leading lights on Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah – all of whom find themselves out of contract in a little over 12 months time.
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However, he is not the only staple of the Liverpool side Slot is battling to keep after TEAMtalk correspondent Rudy Galetti revealed Alisson has been the subject of a ‘monster offer’ from Saudi Arabia and it is not beyond impossible that the Brazilian moves on.
Liverpool look to hijack Juventus move for Serie A goalkeeper
As a result, while we understand the Reds remain hopeful they can keep Alisson in situ for another season at least, Slot and Co are doing their due dilligence on a number of would-be replacements were their trusted No 1 decide to move on.
And with Liverpool’s No 2 Caoimhin Kelleher also looking to move on in an effort to establish himself as a No 1 somewhere, it is little wonder the Reds have drawn up a list of would-be options.
To that end, reports on Wednesday morning suggested Slot and Co were casting admiring glances towards Athletico Paranaense keeper Bento.
And now reports in the Italian media have made even stronger claims about Liverpool’s attempts to beat Juventus to the signing of AC Monza goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.
The 27-year-old has been with the Serie A side for four seasons now, having been ditched by Inter as a youth player. Having made his way up through the Italian divisions since his exit at the San Siro back in 2017, Di Gregorio has now established himself as one of the best keepers in Serie A, with the hunt for his services led by Juventus.
Indeed, Juve’s technical director Cristiano Giuntoli has been in talks over a deal to bring Di Gregorio to the Allianz Stadium for several weeks now as they look to strengthen their side ahead of the new season.
However, with Giuntoli scheduled to meet the goalkeeper’s agent Carlo Alberto Belloni to finalise a salary package in Turin, Tuttosport claims officials from Liverpool have been in touch to try and hijack the deal.
They claim the Reds have made a ‘very rich offer’ for the keeper and are determined in a ‘desperate attempt’ to persuade Di Gregorio to head to Merseyside this summer.
Liverpool transfers: Priority will be to keep Alisson on board
Sadly for the Reds, it seems their reported efforts to land the keeper will come to nothing with the player determined to push through his move to Juventus and stay loyal to the club whom have been on his trail for a good number of weeks.
And with the player ready to complete the ‘final formal steps’ towards signing for Juventus this week, it seems Slot and Co will have to look elsewhere in their efforts to sign a new goalkeeper.
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Of course, the absolutely priority for Slot and CEO of football Michael Edwards will be in persuading Alisson to stay and to reject the riches of Saudi Arabia.
His current deal at Anfield is not due to expire until summer 2027, so there is no immediate rush – or pressure – to negotiate fresh terms.
However, it may be that the interest from the Gulf State forces Liverpool into taking a look at his current arrangement and potentially further rewarding a star whom has become known as one of the safest pair of hands in the Premier League.
Alisson, who has made 263 appearances since a colossal £66.8m move from Roma in 2018 recently indicated his commitment to the Reds, stating on the arrival of Slot: “Now we have a huge challenge in front of us.
“A change of manager, we don’t know too much about him but I’m sure he’ll work a lot to put his mentality across.”
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