Liverpool missed out on the opportunity to land generational talent Jude Bellingham this summer, but the Englishman could still have a part to play in the Reds’ future transfer business.
TEAMTALK have relayed some interesting comments from one of the Real Madrid man’s teammates, Federico Valverde, hinting that the player wouldn’t be completely opposed to a Premier League switch, should circumstances necessitate a potential exit from the Spanish capital.
“Premier League offers? I have the possibility of playing for Real,” Valverde was quoted as saying in a separate interview. “The day I don’t feel like that, I will probably look for another solution or Real itself will look for one for me.”
Whilst a drop in minutes over the course of the season – as a direct result of the former Borussia Dortmund man’s arrival in Madrid – would certainly raise a few eyebrows at recruitment teams across Europe, there doesn’t appear to be a clear sign just yet that such an eventuality will come to pass.
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The former Penarol star (the same outfit that helped develop Darwin Nunez) has only missed 83 minutes of action from a possible 450, starting in all but one clash.
Bellingham or no, Liverpool are unlikely to sign Valverde
Liverpool would, were finances and opportunity to sweetly align, make an exception to their general rule of not pursuing players over the age of 25 (Valverde will turn 26 next summer) if the Uruguayan were to be made available on the market.
With a contract that isn’t set to expire until 2027, and Real Madrid sure to set an asking price that reflects the player’s status as one of the top midfielders on the planet, it’s more than likely he’ll be out of our price range.
That won’t necessarily be a disaster given the quality we’ve recruited in 2023, not to mention the likely pressing need to invest in the backline.
It’s nice to imagine Valverde, a footballer ex-teammate Casemiro once credited with doing a ‘phenomenal job’ at the La Liga giants (Daily Mail), linking up with his international teammate on Merseyside but, if we’re realistic, it seems the stars won’t align on this one!