Liverpool planning to avoid transfer problem as three deals would spark concern
- mrwedwards
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Via echo
Florian Wirtz represents the latest and most expensive step in a midfield rebuild started by Jurgen Klopp and now continued by Arne Slot.
But when Liverpool were first initially assessing their options two years ago, the landscape was significantly different.
Alexis Mac Allister had already been brought on board but otherwise the Reds were scouring the market to determine how best to refresh the engine room,
the UEFA European Under-21 Championships considered fertile ground for identifying the next generation.
A number of targets were tracked. But in the end it emerged the tournament's best midfielder, and the one who netted the winner in the final, was already on Liverpool's books.
Curtis Jones has subsequently established himself in the senior England squad - playing in the most recent games against Andorra and Senegal earlier this month -
with his versatility meaning he made approaching 50 appearances for the Reds during a season in which they claimed the Premier League title.
Wirtz's progress was such that, even aged just 20, he had already made the step up from the Germany U21 side ahead of that tournament in 2023 and was a regular in the full national team squad.
The latest U21 Euros started this week.
But rather than being seen as an opportunity for Liverpool to snap up new talent, it could instead be construed as something of a shop window for a number of their young English players.
When England began their defence with a 3-1 win over Czechia in Slovenia on Thursday night, Harvey Elliott, who scored the opener, and Jarell Quansah both started while Tyler Morton emerged from the bench.
All three suffered frustrating campaigns at Liverpool. Elliott had to wait until after the championship was won to make his first Premier League start,
Quansah was substituted at half-time of Slot's opening game and made the top-flight XI only three more times, while Morton's minutes were restricted to five cup outings.
There is likely to be strong interest in all three players. Elliott has already reportedly turned down an approach from Nottingham Forest while Bayer Leverkusen are interested in Quansah,
Morton has long been on the radar of a number of clubs after two previous successful loan spells in the Championship.
But all three departing would prompt if not a problem, then certainly a matter of which Liverpool will surely be aware. And, in the long term, may well have to rectify.
With Trent having already gone, it would leave Jones and Joe Gomez - another whose future continues to be called into question - as the only senior English players in the squad.
Of course, having no English players in the starting XI is nothing new.
Slot picked such a team in the 2-2 derby draw at Everton in February, while in the 1986 FA Cup final the only Englishman - at least in terms of international representation - was on the bench in Steve McMahon.
And in the early days of the club, all-Scottish teams were not uncommon.