The wonderkid who could be Liverpool’s first signing of January – if Chelsea don’t get there firstplaceholder image
The wonderkid who could be Liverpool’s first signing of January – if Chelsea don’t get there first | Getty Images
Liverpool have been linked with a transfer bid for an exciting young defender - but do they have any chance of winning the bidding war?
The past 48 hours or so haven’t been especially kind to Liverpool. Sure, they battled their way to a respectable if rather uninspiring 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates, but they also learned that their chances of signing Marc Guéhi – so nearly their player at the end of the summer – appear to be vanishing.
Several reports in the national media now suggesting that Manchester City are likely to complete a deal for the England international in the coming weeks, and now Liverpool will likely be left scratching around for defensive reinforcements once more. With Virgil van Dijk getting older and Ibrahima Konaté struggling to replicate his best form, it wouldn’t be a great surprise to see Arne Slot’s side dip into the winter transfer market to find some solutions.
Some reports suggest that they already have a target in mind – the superb young defender Jacobo Ramón, who has been hugely impressive since moving to Como last summer. But will they be able to get a deal done in January, or could a team like Chelsea beat them to the punch?
Why are Liverpool looking at Como defender Jacobo Ramón this January?
The 21-year-old Ramón first made his name with Real Madrid last season, making his way towards the fringes of the first team, making six appearances and scoring a dramatic last-gasp winner against Mallorca in May – all of which persuaded Como, a side built around nurturing young talent, to snap him up over the summer.
Real were happy to oblige, and Ramón has since established himself as a regular starter in Serie A and as a potential superstar. It’s scarcely surprising that teams like Liverpool are now being linked with a bid with increasing regularity via media outlets such as TeamTalk (among several others).
Tall at 6’5” but also quick across the ground, Ramón appears to have all of the natural attributes required to be a first-rate centre-back. Dominant in the air, excellent in one-on-one scenarios, composed with the ball at his feet and comfortable both carrying the ball out of defence or passing it, he has every quality a Premier League side would look for if they were chasing a ball-playing defender and is developing at a rapid rate.
While his positioning can let him down occasionally, his statistical output is remarkably impressive for such an inexperienced player. Given that he only cost Como €2.5m (£2.2m) up front, he may well go down as one of world football’s best buys of the season, especially given this aerial prowess means that he’s chipping in with goals, too – two for his new club already.
For a side like Liverpool, looking to build a younger and deeper defence for the short-term and long-term future, attempting to strike a deal for a player like Ramón makes a lot of sense – but how likely is it to happen?
Will Liverpool sign Ramón in the winter transfer window – or will Chelsea get there first?
There are three main barriers to Liverpool getting a deal for Ramón done this winter, perhaps the most immediate of which being that Como are under no financial pressure to sell so soon after signing him – they may well do so eventually, and Liverpool have the PSR space to make a substantial offer, but Como are pushing for European qualification and it would make little sense for them to sell their best assets at this stage of the season.
And while there are plenty of media stories which suggest that Liverpool are keeping a very close eye on Ramón, there aren’t any which suggest that Como are keen to sell or that advanced negotiations are taking place. Common sense suggests that this may well be a deal which can only plausibly take place in January.
That isn’t the only issue facing Liverpool, however – there are also other clubs in the way, most notably Chelsea, who seem interested in rather belatedly honouring Enzo Maresca’s request for defensive reinforcements and whose fascination with signing impressive young players makes their involvement in future negotiations almost inevitable.
The team which really has the potential to ruin Liverpool’s day, however, is Real Madrid. As part of the exceptionally cheap deal which sent Ramón to Como in the first place, they included a cheap buy-back clause and a 50% sell-on fee agreement. It will only be practically possible to sign Ramón if Real decide that they don’t want him back.
The Athletic are reporting that bringing him back to the Bernabeu is very much on the cards, much as it is with Ramón’s team-mate and fellow Real academy graduate Nico Paz. Xabi Alonso could easily click his fingers and ruin any chance that his former team have of making a deal.
All told, then, the chances that Liverpool bring Ramón in this January seem slim to none, and it’s very much up in the air as to whether he will ever wear the red jersey – but given how impressive he’s been in Serie A, it’s impossible to blame Liverpool for keeping tabs, just in case. If they need another defender this month, however, they will probably have to look elsewhere.
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