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Liverpool’s January transfer window has taken an unexpected twist with Tottenham Hotspur expressing concrete interest in vice-captain Andy Robertson. Spurs accelerated their pursuit of the Scotland international, who was initially targeted as a summer free agent, after Ben Davies suffered a season-ending ankle fracture.
Preliminary talks between the clubs progressed to the point where a £5 million package was discussed, with Thomas Frank desperate to add Premier League experience and leadership to his struggling side currently languishing in 14th place.
However, Liverpool ultimately pulled the plug on the deal after careful consideration. Despite Robertson’s limited game time – just four Premier League starts this season behind first-choice Milos Kerkez – the Reds’ defensive injury crisis made his departure untenable. With Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, and Joe Gomez all sidelined, manager Arne Slot determined he couldn’t afford to lose experienced depth at left-back.
Captain Virgil van Dijk publicly backed this decision, calling Robertson “very important” to the squad. The 31-year-old remains at Anfield until his contract expires this summer.
Liverpool’s contingency plan for Andy Robertson’s potential departure to Tottenham centered on recalling Kostas Tsimikas from his loan spell at AS Roma. The Greek left-back has endured a frustrating six months in the Italian capital, making just four Serie A starts under Gian Piero Gasperini and failing to convince the manager of his credentials.
But it seems that the Anfield club still feel they need to ensure their contingency plan is ready should Robertson still depart for Spurs. Roma sporting director Ricky Massara confirmed to DAZN that his side are in talks with Liverpool over Tsimikas: “There are talks underway with Liverpool, we’ll see in the next few days,” he said.
With the winter window slamming shut 7pm UK time on February 2, it remains to be seen how this saga unfolds.
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