According to one report published on Tuesday morning, Liverpool could potentially bank upwards of £100m from selling two players who are now ‘expected to’ leave Anfield this month.
Curtis Jones has been strongly linked with a move to Inter Milan, who are likely to make another attempt to bring the midfielder to the San Siro, and the 25-year-old is said to be keen on joining the Nerazzurri (Fabrizio Romano).
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur continue to target a potential swoop for Cody Gakpo, whose exit would seemingly be sanctioned by Andoni Iraola if the Reds manage to bring in a replacement before the end of the transfer window (TEAMtalk).
Jones and Gakpo are now ‘expected to’ leave Liverpool
A report from CaughtOffside published today claimed in its headline that the duo are ‘expected to’ depart Liverpool, who face the ‘delicate balancing act’ of generating important transfer income whilst still ensuring that their squad has adequate depth for the season ahead.
Sources for the outlet have indicated that Inter could strike a deal for Jones in the region of €35m (£30m), with the midfielder being a ‘priority target’ for the Serie A champions.
The Reds are understood to value Gakpo at £70m, and Dutch outlet Voetbal International claimed that he’s reached ‘agreement in principle’ with Spurs.
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Will Liverpool sell one, both or neither?
As of today, our feeling is that one of the prospective transfers will probably go through and the other won’t.
Liverpool are in an unenviable situation with Jones, who’s now into the final year of his contract and seemingly has no interest in extending that deal, judging by his reported eagerness for a move to Inter.
Despite club figures maintaining that he’s been nursing a minor injury, his absence from the recent friendlies against Monaco and Como seemed to hint that an exit could be imminent and it’s just a matter of settling the final few details with the Nerazzurri.
It’s a different story with Gakpo, who has four years left on his contract and has looked rejuvenated in pre-season, scoring one goal and setting up another in the 2-0 win over Cesc Fabregas’ side on Sunday evening.
Even with Victor Munoz arriving at Anfield and a prospective swoop for Bradley Barcola adding to the left-sided contingent at Liverpool, the Dutchman could still have a massive part to play for the Reds this season if he stays put.
The one thing which could tip the scales towards him leaving is if Spurs are happy to fork out £70m, a figure which could be difficult for FSG to refuse as it’d represent a £26m profit on what they paid for the winger in December 2022.
If both players are sold and LFC duly bank £100m or more, that could give them the cash injection required to get a prospective deal for Barcola over the line. Some massive decisions await for the Anfield hierarchy over the next two weeks.