Andoni Iraola has wasted little time in getting his feet under the table at Liverpool. The new Reds boss has only been at the helm for a matter of weeks but has already secured his first signing in Victor Munoz.
The Reds have landed the Spain international after activating the £34.6million release clause in his Osasuna contract. The market remains relatively subdued at present, with most attention focused on the World Cup.
But with one target ticked off, the club is now working tirelessly to reinforce the squad further following such a dire title defence, which led to the sacking of Arne Slot and the appointment of Iraola.
Outgoings are also expected, with Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate set to be followed out the door by one or two other high-profile names. Mirror Football examines the latest Reds news…
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Liverpool have been warned not to pay over the odds for Yan Diomande after seeing their opening bid for the Ivory Coast star rejected. The Reds have seen an £87million knocked back by RB Leipzig, who are hoping to retain the 19-year-old for at least one more season.
Undeterred, Liverpool are ready to lodge another, with Leipzig seeking closer to £100m if they are to part with their prized asset this summer. There are suggestions the German side may want as much as £112million.
According to former Premier League striker Jay Bothroyd, that is too much for a player yet to truly establish himself at the highest level. He told Sky Sports: “I’m not paying £112 million for him. There is no doubt about it, he is a very good player. But £112million? That would describe you as one of the world’s best wingers and I’m not sure that he is.
“If it is £85 million, I think that is a good valuation from Liverpool. I think that is a fair valuation. Going above that, though, I can’t see that, and I don’t think it would be good value for money.
“When you are spending that kind of money on a player, you have to be one of the best in the world in that position. I don’t think he’s one of the best in the world.”
View 3 ImagesYan Diomande’s valuation is soaring(Image: Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp has jumped to the defence of Virgil van Dijk following criticism by Rafael van der Vaart. After the Netherlands were held to a 2-2 draw by Japan at the World Cup, Van der Vaart suggested his fellow Dutchman was past his best, comparing him to a large aircraft.
He said: “I have to be honest, I was quite shocked by Van Dijk. With him, I thought, ‘That doesn’t look good,’ especially while turning. It is proving very difficult. A bit like a Boeing 747 turning. I hope he starts turning a bit faster during the tournament.”
The Netherlands subsequently thumped Sweden 5-1, with Van Dijk playing his part in one of the most impressive performances of the tournament so far. Klopp, who is working for MagentaTV in North America, has completely dismissed Van der Vaart’s criticism.
View 3 ImagesVirgil van Dijk was compared with a 747 aircraft(Image: Getty Images)
The former Reds boss said: “I’m not entirely sure if it’s worth mentioning Van der Vaart. But if he ever says something positive about any player at some point, then I’ll be happy to take him seriously again.
“You get the feeling he sees something, and then it has to be formulated in a flowery way, and then he’s really against it. But that way it’s really not important.”
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