Liverpool more likely to sign £43m man over Manuel Ugarte this summer

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Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch is still among Liverpool’s top transfer targets this summer.

That’s according to The Athletic, who place Gravenberch alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Mason Mount as the current favourites to join the Reds.

Another player heavily linked with Liverpool – Sporting’s Manuel Ugarte – also gets a mention. However, it’s claimed that ‘senior club sources’ have moved to dismiss claims that the 22-year-old is a target for Jurgen Klopp.

Nevertheless, The Athletic report that ‘at least two’ midfielders will be brought in ahead of next season.

The recent rise to prominence of Curtis Jones is also analysed in the piece. The Scouser’s recent excellent form has led to some suggestions that Liverpool may not need quite as much as they thought in the transfer market. But this is dismissed, with Klopp’s midfield plans reportedly set to be unchanged regardless.

Bayern won’t budge on Gravenberch

The build-up to this season’s transfer window has felt endless. Quite unusually, Liverpool’s targets have become very public over the last few months.

All of Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Mount have been continually named as three of the most likely signings. Despite that, it appears that little progress is being made on any of them. From the outside at least.

In Gravenberch’s case, Liverpool are going to have to try and convince Bayern to let him go. The player himself is reportedly already convinced that his future lies away from Munich, and could indeed be on Merseyside. But the German champions are said to be incredibly reluctant to let the 20-year-old go.

Signed for barely £20m a year ago, it’s been claimed that Bayern could in fact more than double their money and get £43m if they were to sell Gravenberch to Liverpool. Clearly still believing in the talent of the player though, they look ready to stand their ground and say no.

If that stance budges, it feels almost a formality that the Reds will sign the player dubbed ‘better than Jude Bellingham’ by Rafael Van der Vaart.

If it doesn’t, then perhaps Ugarte will become more of a live target. So far, reports surrounding the Uruguayan have come mainly from Portugal. The Athletic aren’t the first members of the British press to deny any interest. Still, things can change quickly in the market. Targets are fluid. But either way, we’d expect one, two or even three of these four names at Anfield next season.