Transfer Rumours Heat Up as Summer Draws Closer

A blockbuster summer of football beckons, and as we get over the tepid, non-eventful 2023 summer, we have a bumper Euros to look forward to a showcase of some of the most extraordinary talents in the modern game. While the Euros is a platform for the world’s best to power their national side to victory, it is also a window for many players to get a big money move in the summer.

A summer of football is much better than a summer without anything—what do people do all summer without football? That’s the real question here. Thanks to the Euros and a host of other key sporting events, sportsbooks will be looking forward to a massive calendar of action, ranging from multiple bets to outrights to specific odds about which club a player will end up in.

With several top names linked with the Premier League in the summer, what’s the chance we could see some of these colossal names plying their trade at Anfield next season, or could they choose La Liga or Bundesliga instead?

Exploring the Bigger Picture

Often, a team’s transfer strategy revolves around the man in charge. This may have become more convoluted at certain clubs over the last few years, such as Everton, where it was unclear if their conveyor belt of managers, their Director of Football, or their chairman was making the decision. Or a mix of all three?

Fortunately for Liverpool, they’re not run anywhere near as disastrously as their rivals across the park. For the most part, the manager doesn’t just dictate the players that sign, but if he leaves, it could also be the catalyst that sparks a mass exodus from the club—which is what many LFC fans will be worried about this summer.

Virgil Van Dijk has already failed to guarantee that he will still be manning the Reds’ backline once Klopp departs. If one or two key players decide to switch, there could be a serious summer of transfer activity for Liverpool, with a significant amount of transition. Mo Salah is another name that has been linked with a huge move away from Merseyside, and there’s a strong chance there could be bigger outgoings than incomings over the next few months.

A Big Summer for the Reds

Liverpool will be a team in transition this summer. For the first time in a decade, the Reds will be without Klopp in the dugout, and there’s no denying how enormous that change will be. The talismanic German coach has been in the dugout at Anfield since 2016, and a lot of the current squad is there because of his pull.

Ideally, the LFC owners will be looking to bring in their top target and give him carte blanche to bring in whoever they like. It’s not uncommon for a manager to come in and raid their previous club for the top talent which is why many Bayern Leverkusen players are already being linked with Anfield in the summer.

There are strong rumours that Xabi Alonso will become the next Liverpool manager. If Alonso joins the Reds, Leverkusen’s top talents such as Florian Witz, Victor Boniface, and Piero Hincapié have all been linked with a move, and we’re surely going to see at least one join the Spaniard. However, much of the summer transfer window will hinge on who is in the dugout at the beginning of next season.

Many sportsbooks now have Alonso as the nailed-on favourite to be manager next season. With Leverkusen looking like they could win the Bundesliga and potentially remain undefeated for the entire campaign, Liverpool won’t be the only top club enquiring about his services.

Final Thoughts

Transfer rumours are difficult to follow, especially in the Internet age. It feels like a constant stream of influencers trying to generate engagement, with little to no basis for their predictions. Ultimately, it depends on who is in the dugout at Anfield next season this will be an integral feature in the summer transfer rumours.

If Alonso becomes boss, expect to see a host of Leverkusen players potentially end up at Anfield. Alternatively, if it’s a lesser-known entity, this could create a wildcard where some of the top names leave and replacing them becomes the main priority.

Whether it is Virgil, Mo, Trent, or even all three of them, this summer is set to be a huge transition for LFC, and we anticipate there are going to be some serious movements after the conclusion of this year’s Euros – perhaps even a few before, depending on when key announcements are made.