Photo by STEFAN KOOPS/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by STEFAN KOOPS/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Liverpool are fully prepared for a new era of recruitment after confirming the arrival of Julian Ward as their new sporting director on Saturday.
Ward could look to Portugal for new signings, just as he did during his first stint in the role in 2022, with the likes of William Gomes of Porto and Benfica’s Daniel Banjaqui worth keeping an eye on in 2027.
Banjaqui in particular would go some way to solving what has become a genuine issue at right-back for Liverpool, but he is not the only one who could do so. As they consider their options in a post-Trent Alexander-Arnold world, Feyenoord’s Givairo Read has been mentioned many a time as being a player of interest.
Brendan Rodgers
Read had been expected to leave Feyenoord in 2026, but instead stayed put, and if Liverpool think they do finally need to recruit another right-back next year, the 20-year-old will surely feature on Ward’s shortlist.
Solve right-back – and potentially right wing with Gomes – and Andoni Iraola will feel he has plugged some of the key gaps Arne Slot and Richard Hughes left him with. Perhaps the final hole comes in central midfield, but while there will be plenty of players Liverpool fans will be dreaming of to come in and provide support, Feyenoord could have the answer here as well, in the shape of emerging star Gjivai Zechiel.
Givairo Read should still be on Liverpool’s list
Iraola has not needed long to find a temporary fix to Liverpool’s problems at right-back. Out went Jeremie Frimpong after a string of woeful performances, and in came Ronald Araujo, who has been a revelation over the past month.
Nevertheless, Araujo is only on loan, and while fans would like to see his move from Barcelona made permanent, the chances of Liverpool spending almost £50m on a 28-year-old remain fairly low.
READ MORE: How Trent Alexander-Arnold now feels about leaving Real Madrid and re-joining Liverpool in January
Much will depend on how Conor Bradley returns from injury, but it has been clear for some time that the Reds cannot rely on his fitness, and with Frimpong flattering to deceive, they need a new option. As one of the best emerging full-backs in Europe, Read would be a logical answer.
There have been some question marks over the Dutchman’s fitness as well, but he has started the season in really good form for Feyenoord. After eight Eredivisie and Champions League matches, Read has an impressive four assists.
If Liverpool do not snap him up then another of Europe’s big sides will, and if that happens, the Reds will deserve scrutiny about why they let a player with such potential – in an area they really need strengthening – walk away.
Read scores brilliantly for chance creation having made five big chances so far this season, while he has performed eight successful dribbles, putting him in the top 4% of Eredivisie full-backs. He is also showing promise going back the other way, though, with 17 tackles already and 34 duels won, he scores within the top 10% in the Netherlands for both. Araujo is a short-term fix, but Read could certainly be the long-term solution.
Gjivai Zechiel emerges as a candidate
Whether Liverpool sign a midfielder or not in 2027 may depend on two things: whether Alexis Mac Allister leaves and to what extent Trey Nyoni steps up. However, regardless of if Mac Allister stays and Nyoni turns into the player many think he will, the Reds look like they need another body.
Having returned from a successful loan spell at Utrecht, in which he hit double figures for both goals and assists last season, Zechiel has carried his form into life with Feyenoord. Like Read, the 22-year-old has hit four assists in the Eredivisie already, while also adding five goals.
Again, he compares well with his teammate in the sense that he is an excellent dribbler, tackler and duel-winner, and despite his brilliant attacking numbers, Zechiel is actually more of a defensive, or at least a box-to-box midfielder, than an attacking midfielder.
The Feyenoord youth team graduate has even been called up for the Netherlands’ senior squad for the first time during the September break, and could make his debut in a midfield alongside Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch.
That will be a good indicator of Zechiel’s true level, and while fans may roll their eyes at trying to fix issues within the Liverpool squad by buying from the Netherlands, these two players are showing that they could be just what the Reds need to add a little refresh next year.