Liverpool could do with a new right-back this summer, after seeing injuries disrupt the development of Conor Bradley.
It remains to be seen how quickly Bradley can recover from the knee injury which has sidelined him since January, but having been forced to deploy Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones at full-back for most of last season, the Reds need another option regardless.
As they scour the market, they may have had an eye on Union Saint-Gilloise talent Anan Khalaili. But after Inter Milan struck a €25m deal to take him off the market, he will not be joining Liverpool this summer.
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According to journalist Marco Barzaghi, though, Khalaili has a dream of joining the Reds, and has even been told by Inter manager Christian Chivu that Inter could help him achieve it.
Anan Khalaili wants to play for Liverpool
Khalaili is all set to join Inter as a replacement for Liverpool-linked Denzel Dumfries, who has finalised his move to Real Madrid.
But speaking on his YouTube channel on Friday, Barzaghi claimed that the Italian champions struggled to get the deal over the line, with Chivu having to step in and entice the Israeli with the carrot of one day playing for Liverpool.
“Inter were extremely determined to sign Anan. They wanted him at all costs,” he said.
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“I’m also very proud for Israeli football, because it has never seen transfer fees of this magnitude before.
“We went through a terrible week. The transfer came very close to collapsing, but then Cristian Chivu took the initiative and called Anan personally.
“He believes Anan can continue to improve and perhaps one day fulfil his childhood dream of playing for Liverpool. Personally, I probably wouldn’t have said that to him.”
“But for now, let’s enjoy this challenge. It won’t be easy – Inter are one of the best teams in Europe. There will be a lot of pressure, and he’ll have to manage it well. That’s why having someone like Chivu supporting and guiding you is so important.”
If Khalaili can make the step up from the Belgian league to playing for one of Europe’s biggest clubs, a move to Liverpool in the future should certainly not be ruled out. Still only 21, the youngster has big potential.
Should he hit the ground running in Milan while Liverpool’s right-back situation remains unresolved, though, questions should be asked about why the Reds were not in the race for his signature this summer.
In the meantime, Khalaili will be one for Liverpool fans to keep an eye on as he adapts to the demands of playing for a European giant.
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