Liverpool look likely do some business during the last month of the transfer window.
The Reds have so far stayed completely out of the market and will soon be the only Premier League club yet to make a signing.
Nevertheless, that does not mean that the transfer cogs are not turning at Anfield. Between them, Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes seem to be hard at work.
With Slot now having time to settle in and assess where he sees the level of the Liverpool squad, signings could come in August.
One thing Liverpool – and Hughes in particular – have spoken of is ‘opportunism’ in the window. And it seems like a brilliant transfer may just be about to fall right into the Reds’ lap.
Liverpool tracking Mathys Angely
There are still a couple of areas of the Liverpool squad that look important for Slot and Hughes to address this summer.
One of those is at centre-back, where Liverpool recently missed out on Leny Yoro, and the other is in defensive midfield.
With the Reds often taking a liking to versatile players, it begs the question why don’t they simply get a player in who can perform both roles?
Now, according to French outlet Foot Mercato, that’s exactly what Liverpool might be doing.
READ MORE: Liverpool could still move to sign £85m England player this summer
They claim that the Reds have been ‘following’ Bordeaux centre-back Mathys Angely. At just 17 Angely is said to have impressed at this summer’s Euro U17 with his ‘serenity with the ball at his feet and his technical ease.’
Crucially, Angely has now found himself without a club. After FSG were interested in buying Bordeaux to help them out of financial difficulties, the deal collapsed. The French side have since filed for bankruptcy and have lost their professional status.
Unbelievably, all of the players on their books have had their contracts terminated with immediate effect. This has reportedly led to a scramble to snap up the best players.
Angely, who has already played times for Bordeaux, is said to be ‘the most coveted’ of all. Along with Liverpool, several French clubs are also claimed to be interested in him and he’s expected to find a club quickly.
Liverpool at Mathys Angely disadvantage
The sorry tale of Bordeaux is not good news for anybody in football. It was not long ago that they were playing Liverpool in the Champions League.
How a club of such standing has been allowed to be subject to such mismanagement is quite unbelievable.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that in Angely, someone is going to pick themselves up quite a talent. Having been excellent in Euro U17 for France, manager Erwan Lannuzel couldn’t believe what he’d seen.
“He has a magnificent foot and an incredible understanding of the game for his age,” Lannuzel raved.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, Brexit rules mean that they cannot sign players from the EU until after their 18th birthdays. With Angely not 18 until April, they may have stood a chance if he’d have stayed at Bordeaux.
Now that he’s a free agent and in need of a club, it seems impossible that Liverpool will win the scramble to pick him up. Certainly one to keep an eye on for the future, though.
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