Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Two unusual Liverpool transfers completely off, as reasons behind double rejection emerge

Stefanos Tzimas, Ben Doak, Antoine Semenyo

Two Liverpool transfers involving three players have been shut down

Two rumoured Liverpool transfers – one involving a cash-plus-player arrangement – are off, with fresh reports explaining why.

Eyebrows were raised at the weekend when Sky Germany reported on Liverpool’s alleged interest in Greek striker, Stefanos Tzimas.

Taking to X, reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed Liverpool had ‘started talks’ with Bundesliga 2 side Nurnberg regarding a summer swoop.

Tzimas, 19, is currently on loan at Nurnberg from Greek side PAOK. They have an option to buy worth €18m which they reportedly intend to trigger ahead of making an immediate profit by selling to Liverpool for around €25m.

However, a subsequent report from The Athletic’s Liverpool expert, James Pearce, has poured cold water all over Liverpool’s apparent attempts to sign Tzimas.

Taking to X, Pearce declared: “Liverpool have no interest in pursuing a deal for Stefanos Tzimas.”

As such, Tzimas may well join Nurnberg outright in the summer, though is appears extremely unlikely he’ll then be heading to Anfield.

Another rumoured Liverpool move came by way of Northern Echo who claimed Arne Slot’s side could use Ben Doak as a makeweight to sign Bournemouth winger, Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo is valued around the £50m mark, while Liverpool have placed a valuation of £30m on Doak who is currently in the middle of a season-long loan at Middlesbrough.

Liverpool can recall Doak is they desire and interest in the thriving Scottish forward is bubbling up. Indeed, bids worth roughly £15m-£16m from Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace have already been rejected by Liverpool this month.

Northern Echo talked up a Doak-plus-cash for Semenyo deal, but according to the i paper, that move doesn’t have legs either.

Explaining why, the report stated: ‘the i paper understands that, contrary to reports, there is no Bournemouth interest in Liverpool forward Ben Doak at this stage and they will not entertain offers that involve swapping Doak for Antoine Semenyo.’

Liverpool to complete different Bournemouth deal?

But while a deal for Semenyo is not in the pipeline, the i paper claimed the transfer of left-back, Milos Kerkez, very much is.

The report went strong on claims Liverpool are ‘set to beat’ Man Utd to the signing of Kerkez who is viewed as the successor to the declining Andy Robertson.

Kerkez will reportedly cost around £50m before changing clubs, with a deal lined up for the summer.

Explaining how Liverpool have got the jump on United, the much-maligned Richard Hughes was given the bulk of the credit.

Hughes – Liverpool’s sporting director – is a lightning rod for criticism at Liverpool at present amid his failure to land No 1 transfer target, Martin Zubimendi, last summer.

It’s also on Hughes’ watch that Liverpool have allowed three of their greatest ever players in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to enter the last six months of their contracts.

However, the i paper claimed Hughes – who was responsible for bringing Kerkez to Bournemouth when previously with the Cherries – will sign the player for the second time.

The report added: ‘A link-up with Liverpool director of football Richard Hughes, the man who brought Kerkez to England during his time on the south coast, is understood to play a major part in the Hungary international’s thinking.’

While it’s important to note Liverpool do not have agreements with Bournemouth or Kerkez in place just yet, the outlet are adamant Kerkez IS heading to Anfield next summer and agreements on both fronts are all but a formality.

Latest Liverpool news – Zubimendi hijack / Salah claims debunked

Elsewhere, Liverpool have been named as one of four clubs who retain hope of hijacking Arsenal’s move for Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal are prepared to trigger Zubimendi’s €60m release clause and may even agree to pay over the odds in order to stagger the payments.

However, Fabrizio Romano has stressed there’s still work to do in convincing Zubimendi to leave Real Sociedad and Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona are all eyeing a late hijack too.

Elsewhere, transfer insider, Rudy Galetti, has exclusively told TEAMtalk that claims of Mohamed Salah agreeing to join Al-Ittihad are wide of the mark.

What’s more, Salah’s preference in the event he does leave Liverpool in the summer is remaining in Europe and not moving to the middle east at this stage in his career.

As such, PSG are the frontrunners if Salah leaves, though the Egyptian’s priority remains signing a new deal at Anfield.

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