‘It’s not over,’ adds Fabrizio Romano, who believes Liverpool might yet sign a’special player’ at some point.

During the summer transfer window, Liverpool was linked with a slew of midfielders.

Indeed, as the Reds concentrated on rebuilding their midfield, the gossip mill went into overdrive, with every player under the sun being connected with a move to Anfield.

Andre Trindade of Fluminense was one player whose name was regularly mentioned.

While a move to Anfield did not materialize this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano, speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, a move to Anfield might be in the cards in the future as the 22-year-old remains a player Liverpool truly likes.

Fluminense v Goias – Brasileirao Serie A 2022 ANDRE TRINDADE of Fluminense during the match between Fluminense and Goias as part of Brasileirao Serie A 2022 at Maracana Stadium on November 09, 2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio de Janeiro Maracana Stadium Brazil Copyright: xxRuanoxCarneirox

Andre may travel to Liverpool.
Romano revealed all he knew about Andre.

“No, it’s not over; it’s something we have to keep an eye on because Liverpool likes Andre.” They had nice conversations with Fluminense and have solid contacts. Fluminense demonstrated their strength in the Brazilian and South American markets by stating that the player would not be leaving. “Credit to Fluminense, it was not easy, but I think Liverpool will keep monitoring the player, this is a special player, this is not a normal player, Andre is a very, very good player,” Romano said.

Do they require his services?
Andre is a player Liverpool likes, but we have to wonder if he is still a player Liverpool needs following their summer recruitment push.

Liverpool signed four midfielders this summer and presumably don’t need any more.

Andre is a talented player, but so are Stefan Bajcetic, Harvey Elliott, and Curtis Jones, so it’s difficult to see the Reds going after him anytime soon.

READ MORE….

Mbappe pre-contract agreement in place & Salah talks underway – how LFC’s January could play out

Mbappe pre-contract agreement in place & Salah talks underway – how LFC’s January could play out

There will be those who suggest thinking about life after Mo Salah is undermining his continued value to Liverpool Football Club.

His current standing as the fifth-highest topscorer in the club’s history would certainly reinforce the idea that the Egyptian’s ongoing story in Merseyside appears far from over.

A man of the mould of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi, who prides himself on maintaining an elevated level of fitness and physical superiority reserved for Gods and marble statues, the 31-year-old could, theoretically, operate at a high level deep into the well of his 30s.

Whilst we don’t wish to give off the impression of being eager to part ways with a legendary figure at Liverpool, the question remains as to whether decision-makers at Anfield believe it is worth the gamble – especially whilst a get-out-of-jail-free card, in the form of Saudi millions, is being flashed about in the market.

READ MORE: Report: Liverpool line up 21-y/o Salah replacement they could soon sign for free

READ MORE: Versatile speed demon: One name almost guaranteed to be on Liverpool’s 2024 transfer shortlist – Athletic

We rejected a mammoth £100m rising to £150m with add-ons from Al-Ittihad, it had been understood, in the dying stages of the summer transfer window, though the expectation is that the Saudi Pro League will be back with a vengeance come the next year, or even January to at least initiate talks over nailing down a next destination of sorts, wherever that may be.

In which case, it wouldn’t be foolish to expect that starting figure to have bumped up in the 10s of millions of pounds – potentially as high as the figure we could have reached with the aid of add-ons.

Hypothetically, if Liverpool do hold on to Salah until next summer (as we desperately hope they will), how strong will our resolve be if £150m is slapped onto the negotiating table for a 32-year-old with one year left on his contract? Even if it is indeed the legendary Mohamed Salah?

Mo Salah out? Kylian Mbappe in?

Were we not to agree another lucrative contract extension for the Egyptian King and pick up a cheque with an unfathomable number of zeroes on it, perhaps a bigger question that must be considered heavily first before we even contemplate life without the former Roma man is: WHO do we replace him with?

Even more specifically, HOW do we look to replace him? Do we look for a like-for-like? The biggest name on the market? Just a high-potential right-winger and then look to distribute our former wide man’s output amongst our remaining forwards?

Heartbreak for Kylian Mbappe in Qatar – (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

With Kylian Mbappe’s contract set to run out next summer, as things currently stand, there will be a great many tempted to urge Liverpool to go all-out for one of the globe’s hottest properties in January and arrange a pre-contract agreement with a view to landing the player for free in the summer.

A genuine goal machine it has to be said; scorer of a hat-trick in the World Cup final in Qatar and plunderer of 41 goals (and 10 assists) in 43 games, across all competitions, last term for PSG.

The French international is capable of playing on either flank, though one might imagine the player will have expectations of playing centrally in a three-man forward lineup, which doesn’t solve the Salah conundrum (even if you are bringing in a player few others in world football are as talented as).

Going down the route of left-footed right-wingers…

The Athletic have already looked at one name that seems almost certain to be included in our summer transfer shortlist (provided we can get there before Real Madrid…): Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo.

A footballer on the rise and, critically, yet to reach his apex, which most certainly fits the bill Liverpool’s recruitment team tends to favour.

22 years of age, an aggressive runner of the ball who likes to take on a man and end his attacking carry with a shot on goal.

If there’s a potential world-class player there to be nurtured into a global superstar – Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp should be the parties making that vision a reality.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in action for Napoli – (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

We still could go down the route of a ready-made quality replacement – between the likes of a Kubo and a Mbappe – by going BIG for Napoli’s Georgian winger, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

You can most certainly expect to have to plump much of the potential £150m or so we gain from any possible sale of Mo Salah to go to the Italian outfit for their 22-year-old, ambidextrous winger.

The Italian top-flight champion would make quite the marquee signing, and though he’s traditionally a left-sided winger, he is capable of playing on the opposing flank. Surely the task of doing so to replace one of the greatest figures in Liverpool history would appeal.

Believe it or not, we do have options around us, which may be far more preferable to bank on as opposed to rolling the dice on whether Salah can continue to deliver at the absolute peak of his powers (or close enough around them) for the next two to three years.

#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones

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Ben Doak leaves Spanish football awestruck with Scotland U21 masterclass as Liverpool kid dusts off his signature move
More than a few within Spanish football dropped their jaw on Tuesday night when Ben Doak delivered a stunning performance for Scotland U21s.

Doak was part of a Scotland team that fell just short against one of the top ranked teams at that age-group and was unlucky not to open the scoring in the first half. A sole goal from Turrientes was the difference in the end but it was a Scottish performance to kick off qualifying for Euro 2025 that inspired plenty of hope and optimism.

And it was Doak in particular who stole the show with X (formerly Twitter) on fire about his performance. One Liverpool fan was left with hearts in their eyes when he pulled off “the Ben Doak special” – receiving the ball on the half-way line in a seemingly innocuous position, but turning his defender on the blink of an eye without even touching the ball and racing towards goal. It left Alejandro Frances, tasked with marking him, stumbling to the floor and grasping at his shirt as Doak careered away.

A quick search of his name returns a multitude of Spanish-language posts blown away by Liverpool’s 17-year-old sensation. One wrote: “Ben Doak. Electricity, self-confidence, ball retention and the ability to drop his shoulder and create danger. The best of the game, honestly. Looking forward to seeing him with Liverpool in the Premier League,” while another added: “What a diamond, 17 years old and pure fire!”

One fan rated him “the best player on the pitch” with his “explosiveness, speed and audacity” enough to cause any senior team problems. And another, seemingly a Liverpool fan in South America, said: “I said it and I reiterate it again: BEN DOAK IS MORE THAN SERIOUS.”

Scotland boss Scot Gemmill was equally pleased – and noted the youngster wasn’t even fully fit yet. He said after the game: “It was an exceptional performance from Ben Doak. I would even add that’s there more to come from him. He’s not fully match fit at the moment because of his limited minutes as he is playing for such a good club.

“Imagine a fully-fit Ben Doak! I thought it was a really top performance and hopefully everyone saw that. Credit to the players for executing the game plan. I am actually not too disappointed because I am really proud of the players.”

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