Juventus has set a $32 million price tag on Liverpool target Dean Huijsen, with the first piece of inbound business of the Arne Slot era drawing closer.
Liverpool transfer news is coming thicker and faster now that the window has officially opened. Arne Slot’s first signing will walk through the door any day now, and that day could be quickly coming.
Of course, the first signing of an era does not tell us much. Jurgen Klopp signed Marko Grujic and Steven Caulker during his first transfer window, but neither played a significant role in his brilliant time of success at Anfield.
Furthermore, because Slot arrived as ‘head coach’ rather than manager, he is unlikely to have main transfer control. The first signing of the summer could reveal more about the returning Michael Edwards or the incoming sporting director Richard Hughes.
Even yet, every move this summer will be scrutinized more closely than usual as the Reds strive to maintain their position at the top in a post-Klopp world. Here is Liverpool.com’s take on the latest transfer rumours surrounding the Reds.
Alvin Ayman (wolves)
Liverpool is close to signing Alvin Ayman from Wolves. That is according to The Secret Scout.
Ayman is a 16-year-old center-back who signed from Bradford City last summer. But he has quickly progressed through the ranks at Wolves, where he was named to the team to face Manchester City near the end of the season.
The Reds are close to finalizing a deal. Ayman would most likely start in the Academy levels, just as Ben Doak, but with a faster road to potential first-team minutes.
If Liverpool is successful in completing a deal, compensation could reach $1.9 million (£1.5 million/€1.8 million).
Liverpool.com says: Liverpool has a tendency for signing high-potential players in this age bracket. Clearly, the club has identified significant value to be found, a gamble that will only be fully realized in a few years.
However, when you look at someone like Doak, who is plainly worth far more than what Liverpool paid to sign him from Celtic, you have to believe that the Reds are onto something. It remains to be seen whether they have discovered any future superstars, with Ayman maybe being the next candidate, but there appears to be a pretty consistent road to making a substantial profit.
Slot must maintain the first-team road that Klopp has so successfully established. That’s undoubtedly a major selling factor for some of the country’s best young talent.
Dean Huijsen(Juventus)
Dean Huijsen, another name that has emerged unexpectedly, is apparently a Liverpool target. At 19, the central defender is a little older and would most likely join the first team right away.
Huijsen hasn’t been able to make the grade at Juventus, which loaned him out to Roma in January. But he impressed there, and according to Mirko Di Natale, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Borussia Dortmund are all interested.
Juventus, for its part, is prepared to let Huijsen go. However, it has set a $32 million minimum asking price (£25 million or €30 million).
According to Liverpool.com, Slot (or Edwards, or Hughes) appears to be looking for a young center back. That adds up, especially because Virgil van Dijk is 33 and Joel Matip has left.
Huijsen would be a more immediate alternative than Ayman, but given that Juventus did not consider him good enough to play, you’d expect him to need more time to improve before he’s ready for Liverpool. However, it would not be the first time a major club failed to see a promising young player right in front of their eyes.
