Breaking down reports Liverpool ‘plan to spend’ €230m on three stars, including Real Madrid dynamo

Reports on the continent claim Liverpool are planning to spend a further £202m on three new signings in the January window to complete the rebuild of Arne Slot’s side – but TEAMtalk can explain why only one of the trio touted to sign is a realistic target.

The Reds lavished some £440m (€505m, $600m) on rebuilding their squad over the summer, though several stars also left in a summer of sweeping changes for the Premier League champions. As is typical, though, for a side undergoing a serious transformation, Liverpool have taken time to find their best form and already find themselves some seven points adrift of table-topping Arsenal.

But with the team still dogged by inconsistencies and having recently suffered six losses in seven games, Slot knows his side is far from perfect and still has many improvements to make if they are to challenge for major honours this season.

To that end, notorious Spanish website Fichajes claims the Reds want to splash out another €230m (£202m, $265m) on stars from Real Madrid, Inter Milan and PSG, all in their sights.

Per the report, the Reds are  ‘prepared to offer close to €60 million’ for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

The France international is not the only midfielder on their agenda, either, with the report detailing interest in splashing out a further €90m on PSG midfielder Vitinha, who recently came third in the Ballon d’Or voting.

‘Liverpool believes Vitinha could be the ideal addition to control the midfield. His price tag is around €90 million, a high figure but manageable within the club’s financial plan. His arrival would bring creativity, attacking prowess, and a high level of technical ability, precisely what the Anfield side is looking for to take a decisive step forward,’ the report claims.

And to complete their winter window bonanza, it’s reported Liverpool see Alessandro Bastoni as the ‘ideal heir’ to Virgil van Dijk.

The report continues: ‘The defence is also a focus of attention and the chosen player to reinforce it is Alessandro Bastoni, currently with Inter Milan and one of the most promising centre-backs in Europe.

‘At just 25 years old, Bastoni combines power, tactical intelligence, and excellent ball distribution. Liverpool FC see him as the natural successor to Virgil van Dijk and are prepared to offer around €80 million to secure his services.’

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Only one of the trio is are viable Liverpool targets

Given Liverpool have just embarked on a major summer rebuild, it would seem madness to suggest they could splash out another £200m-plus on more new additions.

And while their summer net spend was actually £218m, thanks to sales worth over £220m, it’s hard to take the report seriously given what Slot has said about further additions to his squad and his admission that money would only be splashed out if injuries were to dictate.

Liverpool have lost one summer signing, Giovani Leoni, to a season-ending ACL injury, but speaking ahead of the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, Slot stated when asked if he could spend again: “That all depends on whether we get more injuries, yes or no, and if there’s a chance in the market – all the answers I always give.

“But I would not prefer to go to 24/25 players. Also, if it is ever a situation where I lead a team that has four or five injuries throughout the whole season, it might be a bit smarter to go to 24/25, but recent history has shown that [we have a good record] until now.

“We don’t have five or six injuries at the same time throughout the whole season. If that were the situation, then we would end up with 15/16 players, and that would normally be difficult.

“So it’s a choice I like to make, but I think it is also a financial choice that we as a club have to make. If we want to keep these top players, we cannot have 24/25 of them.”

Yet of those three, it is perhaps the injury to Leoni and uncertainty around the future of Ibrahima Konate that makes a possible move for Bastoni an intriguing prospect.

The 40-times capped Italy defender has racked up 270 appearances for Inter and is now regarded as one of the best centre-halves, not just in Italy, but in world football.

And he certainly has the type of credentials and qualities Liverpool would be after to improve their squad; indeed, he’s one of the few players in world football who could viably be seen as a suitable heir to Van Dijk.

But whether Inter would sanction a mid-season sale would appear unlikely, especially given his fellow defenders Stefan de Vrij, 33, Francesco Acerbi, 37, and Matteo Darmian, 36, all having contracts expiring at the end of this season.

To dismiss Fichajes’ other links, however, Liverpool do not need to add new midfielders to their mix with Slot blessed with a plethora of options.

And while Vitinha, certainly, would be a significant upgrade on Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones, and, potentially, Ryan Gravenberch too, persuading PSG to part with one of their crown jewels is simply a non-starter.

Latest Liverpool news: Konate sends message; Milos Kerkez regrets?

Meanwhile, Konate has sent a 12-word message to Liverpool fans ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with Real Madrid in a game being billed as the Frenchman’s transfer audition – but new reports in Spain suggest his poor form for the Reds has seen the Spanish giants accelerate moves for two other targets instead.

Elsewhere, speculation is rife that Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has no intention of playing Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott again, to avoid triggering a conditional obligation to buy clause.

Finally, sources have addressed claims that Liverpool are starting to regret signing Milos Kerkez in the summer after the Hungarian’s early struggles to find his feet at Anfield, with our transfer correspondent, Dean Jones, revealing what the Reds’ future plans in the transfer market with regards their full-back department.