With lots of business to potentially get done this summer, we took a look at seven of the best free agents Liverpool could sign in the transfer market.
Ahead of the summer, most of the focus has been on Liverpool’s trio of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah seeing their contracts run out.
In this piece, though, we are going to suggest ways the Reds could take advantage of the Bosman ruling, that allows out-of-contract players to move freely without their former club receiving a fee.
After all, we’ve had a bit of luck with free signings in the past… Gary McAllister, James Milner, Joel Matip and Kolo Toure the pick of the bunch.
Many of the players on this list aren’t the names Liverpool will have at the top of their wish list, but they are the arguably the best of what the free agent market will have to offer this year.
Jonathan David
• Current Club: Lille
• Age: 25
• Position: Striker
Of all the players on this list, a move for Jonathan David feels the most likely.
In late March, the i Paper claimed Liverpool are one of 10 clubs who have “made contact with the player’s representatives.”
This season – the third in a row in which he has broken the 20-goal mark – is shaping up to be David’s best yet, with 23 goals and 10 assists in 41 games for Lille.
The centre-forward is a nuisance in the final third as he is so multitalented, capable of dominating as a lone striker while involving himself in the team’s all-round play.
Ola Aina
• Current Club: Nottingham Forest
• Age: 28
• Position: Right-back
Ola Aina is a player whose name was linked with Liverpool as a youngster but has since forged a career elsewhere.
The former Chelsea right-back has never really been the star at any of his clubs, but he has proved himself to be a solid option for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
He is, of course, not a player who can replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, but he is good defensively and that could be attractive if the Reds were to sign an attacking left-back instead.
Tyrick Mitchell
• Current Club: Crystal Palace
• Age: 25
• Position: Left-back
While most acknowledge that Bournemouth‘s Milos Kerkez is the ideal signing at left-back, Tyrick Mitchell could serve another purpose.
With Kostas Tsimikas likely leaving, Liverpool will need cover for Robertson if they don’t sign a replacement, and Mitchell could be good going forward as part of a strong side.
Over the last year, he has averaged 0.18 expected assisted goals per 90 minutes – a statistic that places him in the top 10 percent of comparable players in Europe’s top five leagues, according to FBRef.
Jonathan Tah
• Current Club: Bayer Leverkusen
• Age: 29
• Position: Centre-back
Jonathan Tah was once rated as one of the most exciting young centre-halves in Europe.
The 29-year-old will have been at Bayer Leverkusen for 10 years come the summer and he could be seeking to experience a new league, having won each domestic trophy in Germany under Xabi Alonso.
Unlike the Reds, however, he has spent much of the last two years playing in a back three, something which could put Liverpool off.
Leroy Sane
• Current Club: Bayern Munich
• Age: 29
• Position: Right-wing
Leroy Sane has always been an intriguing player. At times he has looked like the next Lionel Messi, but you get the feeling he has never quite fulfilled his potential.
However, that might seem harsh on a player who has won two Bundesliga titles, three Premier League titles, two League Cups, the FA Cup and the Club World Cup.
There would be no doubt his arrival would bring excitement, but it seems unlikely that Arne Slot would opt for a player whose under-par pressing was sometimes the reason for his exclusion under Pep Guardiola.
Incidentally, Messi is also out of contract this year…
Angel Gomes
• Current Club: Lille
• Age: 24
• Position: Centre-midfield
While Sane feels improbable given his age and relative decline, a move for Angel Gomes would fit in much more with the model at Liverpool of buying younger.
Gomes is one of a new crop of young English players who have gone abroad to kickstart their careers. The midfielder moved from Man United to Lille in 2020 and has since impressed enough to earn four England caps under Gareth Southgate.
This season, though, has seen his development slow down slightly, as injuries have allowed him to start just 10 of Lille’s 21 Ligue 1 games.
Tariq Lamptey
• Current Club: Brighton
• Age: 24
• Position: Right-back
Like Aina, Tariq Lamptey is another player Chelsea let get away at a young age.
The right-back signed for Brighton in 2020 and was seen by many as one of the best attacking right-backs in the Premier League from 2021 until 2023.
Recently, though, he has suffered multiple injury issues and only managed 10 Premier League starts last season and is on just nine to date this time around.
Also like Aina, he is no Alexander-Arnold replacement, but if Liverpool were looking to do things on the cheap, Lamptey could be someone they turn to.
You might even call it a classic Moneyball signing.
Fan Comments