Liverpool 'are prepared' to offer up defender to sign Premier League star who 'belongs among the elite'

Liverpool are not expected to get too involved in the January transfer window but plenty of rumours are hinting at at a busy summer. James Pearce recently admitted he would ‘be surprised’ if the Reds roll up their sleeves in the new year, as Arne Slot is satisfied with the depth he currently has in the his squad.

Several players’ futures are now being discussed, though, and the end of the season could also spell the end of a chapter for some senior stars. While speculation continues to swirl around the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, other players are also attracting attention from rival clubs.

Some fringe players have been tipped to move on in the summer and TBR Football has reported that Liverpool could use Kostas Tsimikas as a sweetener to get a deal of their own over the line. Antonee Robinson has been a name doing the rounds recently and Liverpool are ‘huge fans’ of his.

The US international has established himself as a key part of Fulham’s set-up and since the start of last season, he has missed just one Premier League match due to injury. Robinson reportedly comes with a £40 million price tag and Liverpool ‘are prepared’ to offer Tsimikas in a player-plus-cash deal in hopes it will bring Fulham’s asking price.

Liverpool scouts who have been watching Robinson believe the left-back ‘belongs among the elite’. The 27-year-old is under contract at Craven Cottage until 2028 but he isn’t the only target who has caught the eye of the Premier League leaders.

The Reds have also shown interest in Wolves’ Rayan Aït-Nouri, as well as Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth. But while multiple new left-backs have been on the radar, Slot has acknowledged the talent he already has in that area with Tsimikas and Andy Robertson.

“My line-ups tell you what I think about this: We have two very good full-backs and we play many, many games,” Slot told reporters ahead of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa. “Both need their games because it’s a position where a lot of effort is being asked. The players who have played most games is the centre-backs, who don’t run the most compared to full-backs or wingers.

“So, there are multiple reasons why our full-backs or midfielders are sometimes rotated. But it has also to do with quality of players. I have two very good left full-backs and Kostas has started a few times.”