Liverpool 'target' available for £42m after trophy-winning season

Liverpool’s reported target Ederson is available for £42m this summer, according to the latest news.

The Atalanta midfielder knocked Liverpool out on the way to winning the Europa League - and the midfielder produced an eye-catching, all-round performance in the final against the much-heralded Bayer Leverkusen. His strong form has also been rewarded by his country ahead of this summer’s Copa America as he made his debut in the 3-2 friendly victory over Mexico on June 9.

Having earned plenty of praise across the season, he has caught the eye of clubs around Europe and, despite having three years left on his current, deal, he could leave this Gian Piero Gasperini’s side this summer. According to Caught Offside, the 24-year-old is said to be available for £42m and that Liverpool are pushing forward with their approach but it is unclear where he would fit into Arne Slot’s midfield landscape after the club spent over £150m on players in that position last summer.

Liverpool boast an embarrassment of riches with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch, Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones and it doesn’t seem to be a problem area after last season. The general consensus is that some fans have concerns over the defensive midfield role with Endo and Bajcetic being the only two natural options for that position which may not be enough to compete with the might of Manchester City, Arsenal and Real Madrid.

Ederson certainly doesn’t fix that issue. If anything, he overcomplicates the plot in the engine room as he played 39 of his 53 appearances last season in central midfield being tasked with covering large distances rather than sitting deep and protecting (as seen by his season heatmap). His seven goals this season has resulted in a breakout year for him. Prior to that, he had netted just one in 37 games.

A talented midfielder? Certainly. However, it’s unclear how he would fit into the current Liverpool set-up as there would be someone in the midfield roster who would be negatively affected. Players like Bajcetic, Gravenberch and Jones are all jostling for starting positions after being relegated to backup options in Jurgen Klopp’s final season in charge.