'Agreement reached' - £12m Liverpool signing set to join £41m Man Utd arrival at Serie A side
A former Liverpool player is closing on his next move after being made a free agent
Former Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno is close to joining Serie A outfit Como 1907 after reaching an agreement with the club, according to reports in Italy.
The now 32-year-old arrived at the Reds back in 2014, after signing on a £12m deal from La Liga side Sevilla. He made 141 appearances during his time with Liverpool, scoring three goals and providing 11 assists from defence. Two of those goals came in his first season, with a memorable strike in only his second Premier League outing for the Reds as he scored in a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur after running half the length of the pitch at White Hart Lane.
In 2019 and after five years on Merseyside, when he made one appearance in Liverpool’s 2018/19 Champions League triumph, he was released by the club alongside striker Daniel Sturridge. Recently-departed manager Jurgen Klopp said at the time: "Alberto is a person whose personality is reflected in how he plays - full of life, full of energy, always positive. An unbelievable character who is always willing to give all of himself for the team.
"Daniel has earned the right to be considered a modern-day Liverpool great, I would think. He came to the club while we were trying to rebuild and re-establish ourselves. Some of the goals he has scored for Liverpool were so, so, so important. We will miss them of course, but we can say farewell with the best words possible: Guys, you leave as European champions."
Moreno sealed a move to Villareal after departing Anfield and won the Europa League with the Spanish club in 2021 as they defeated Manchester United on penalties in the final. His time at the Spanish club ended last month but Gianluca di Marzio has reported the player has reached an agreement over a move to Como as he heads to Italy having spent his career so far in Spain and England.
He played 124 times for the Yellow Submarine before being released and even featured 30 times across all competitions last season. Como are part owned by former Arsenal and Barcelona stars Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry, with the former acting as an assistant coach at the club. Moreno will be joined at the Serie A side by another former Liverpool star, with ex-goalkeeper Pepe Reina set to move to the Italian outfit after he was also released by Villareal at the end of the most recent season.
Como, according to widespread reports, are also confident of landing released Manchester United defender Raphael Varane - with a deal set to be completed next week. The Frenchman arrived at Old Trafford in a £41m deal in 2021 but was released by the Red Devils at the end of last season. The Serie A club held talks with the centre-back late last month, and have fought off competition from a number of clubs within Europe and further afield.
Varane was part of the United side who lost 7-0 at Anfield in March 2023, as he played the entire game in a defeat which marked the heaviest one of his career.