After a quiet summer transfer window, Liverpool will need to bolster their squad either in January or next summer to ensure Arne Slot has the tools to continue his impressive start to life at Anfield.
One of the first players he tried to sign was Martin Zubimendi, who was targeted for the base of the midfield and would have been a key player in the new head coach’s side.
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The Spaniard decided to stay at Real Sociedad, and instead Slot moved Ryan Gravenberch into a deeper role where he has excelled.
However, Liverpool are still in need of midfield reinforcements. Gravenberch has started every single league and Champions League game this season, while Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have been used in more advanced roles.
Wataru Endo is likely leave the club in the near future, while it remains to be seen where Slot uses Harvey Elliott, who lacks the physicality that Jones and Szoboszlai bring to the side.
It means there is a spot in the squad for a fresh face, and one player’s agent has opened the door to a big move.
Liverpool and Tottenham linked with Sudakov
According to the Mirror, Shaktar Donetsk’s Georgiy Sudakov is open to a move away from Ukraine, and Liverpool and Spurs are both interested in making a move.
The 22-year-old's agent, Vadim Shabliy, revealed that both Sudakov and Shaktar are ready to discuss terms on a potential transfer.
"Shakhtar and the player are open to offers,” he said. “And that means there is a high probability that we will soon be able to see Georgiy in the top leagues."
Sudakov has been linked with a move to Liverpool before, and Shaktar rejected offers from Juventus during the summer, who remain interested in his signature.
Sudakov: The next Kevin de Bruyne
It's clear why Sudakov is wanted by a number of top clubs. He was one of Ukraine's best performers at EURO 2024, has scored eight goals in 15 matches in all competitions this season and has already captained Shaktar despite being 22-years-old.
He's also been compared to Man City superstar Kevin de Bruyne by one of the coaches who knows him best, Shaktar Head of Youth Development Oskar Ratulutra.
"I'd say maybe like Kevin De Bruyne," Ratulutra told ESPN when asked which midfielder he is most like. "He can play box-to-box and he can do everything. He is always in the game."
Sudakov joined Shaktar's impressive youth setup when he was 14, and didn't take long to show the club he was ready for the first team.
"When he was maybe 17 years old, he was playing in the U19s," Ratulutra told ESPN. "He was the youngest player who took part and scored twice in that game. I think we lost, but he made the difference, and we knew he was ready."
He now appears ready to make the next step.
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