Liverpool will shortly announce Andoni Iraola’s appointment as their head coach after Arne Slot was relieved of his duties last weekend, and a major squad rebuild could follow in the summer transfer window.
It is expected that midfield will be a key area of concern for the incoming manager as well as the board with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch playing majority minutes with not much quality or depth in the engine room.
With Curtis Jones’ future also under speculation, Caught Offside has reported that Liverpool are ready to go toe-to-toe with Manchester United over the signing of West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes.
He is expected to depart the Hammers during the transfer window following their relegation from the Premier League, and it is believed that it would take £80 million for the interested party to secure the player’s services.
Fernandes a top quality signing
Manchester United are not done yet in the transfer window, even as far as midfield signings are concerned, in spite of agreeing to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson, and therefore, they retain a strong interest in Mateus Fernandes.
That said, Liverpool’s entry into the picture for the West Ham United star’s transfer comes as no surprise considering Andoni Iraola’s playing style revolving around high intensity, pressing football, where a player of Fernandes’ calibre would be key.
Fernandes, 21, works very hard without the ball by pressing and utilising his physicality to dispossess opponents, while in possession, he is capable of driving forward higher up the pitch, making him an ideal fit for Liverpool next season.
Alexis Mac Allister might well be the player sacrificed from the starting eleven to make way for him after an underwhelming campaign, and Liverpool, despite competition from United, will fancy their chances of signing Mateus Fernandes.
