Liverpool transfer news: Why Reds have hope on Alexander Isak deal, the three new names on centre back list and the THIRTEEN players who could leave in mass clearout

Liverpool have been ultra-busy this transfer window with £295million spent and seven players joining the club – but is there still work to do?

We know they love the idea of signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle, despite the big-money additions of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike already, and they have now had their first formal bid rejected.

And it feels like they still need a defender given injury problems and contract situations of the current centre backs.

There are also plenty of players with uncertain futures ahead of the new season – with some sales still needed to balance the books and free up extra funds for the Isak pursuit.

Here, Mail Sport answers the big five questions about Liverpool’s transfer plans as we head into the final month of what has been a hectic summer for the champions…

Liverpool broke the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz for £116million from Bayer Leverkusen

Hugo Ekitike was another big-money arrival, for £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt

What have Liverpool done so far?

A lot. In one of these transfer briefings several months ago, we told readers to expect four or five senior signings this summer and how they had a ‘war chest’ to fund a huge transfer window. That has been proven correct… but if anything it was a conservative estimate.

Liverpool completed the statement acquisition of Wirtz for £116m after fighting off Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid for his signature. The German was sold a vision after phone calls with Arne Slot and Co and the boss can build his team around the playmaker.

That was the second buy from Bayer Leverkusen after also spending £29.5m on energetic, attack-minded right back Jeremie Frimpong. They strengthened the other side of their defence with £40m Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth.

Then there was striker Ekitike, who arrived for £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt last week. The Frenchman scored as high as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe on internal data tests and can also play out wide.

Three new goalkeepers have arrived with £29m Giorgi Mamardashvili the new No 2, the Georgia No 1 signing from Valencia after a deal was struck last summer.

Freddie Woodman joins on a free from Preston as the experienced third choice, while young Hungarian keeper Armin Pecsi joined from Puskas Akademia for £1.5m and will join the Under 21s squad under new boss Rob Page.

In terms of exits, the club managed to get £10m for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid. Given he had already played his last game for the club, that was good business – the Spanish giants were scrambling to get him in early for the Club World Cup.

Luis Diaz has gone to Bayern Munich for £65.5m, while Caoimhin Kelleher left for Brentford £18m and young defender Jarell Quansah went to Bayer Leverkusen for £35m. They also got some money for the £3m sale of Nat Phillips to West Brom and Vitek Jaros joined Ajax on loan.

Jeremie Frimpong will link up again with former Leverkusen team-mate Wirtz

Luis Diaz has been the biggest outgoing for Liverpool, joining Bayern Munich for £65.5m

What do they still need to do?

It sounds a bit odd, considering they have spent £295m this summer, but they are maybe a couple of players short.

If Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa are to leave as expected (more on that later), Liverpool are left with just three senior forwards: Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Ekitike. The club are still mourning the tragic death of striker Diogo Jota.

Young sensation Rio Ngumoha, 16, starred on the pre-season tour and can step up to a more senior role in the first-team squad this season, while Wirtz, Frimpong and Harvey Elliott (if he does not leave) can also play in the front three if needed – but the Reds still feel a man light.

Isak is the dream signing and that could well happen even after the Reds' first bid was rejected on Friday, but only if Newcastle budge on their sky-high price tag of at least £150m. Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been mooted in the past but the club insist they will not be signing a winger to replace Diaz.

The other position they are a bit short is central defence. With Quansah departing, the only senior centre backs they have are Virgil van Dijk, who is 34 (even if his displays are still those of someone 10 years younger), Ibrahima Konate, who has only a year left on his contract and has yet to gain any traction on signing a new one and Joe Gomez, who is currently injured and has played just 11 minutes in 2025.

Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch and Kostas Tsimikas have been trialled at the heart of defence in pre-season but none seem like long-term options.

Given Gomez’s injury record and the fact Konate’s fitness was shaky before a stronger showing last season, it feels imperative that they strengthen at the back before the deadline.

Youngsters Amara Nallo and Wellity Lucky, who recently penned a new deal, would be next in line to step up to the squad but neither were taken on the Asia tour. Nallo made his debut in the Champions League last season… but was sent off after three minutes!

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have forged one of the best central defensive partnerships in the world - but they need back-up

Amara Nallo would be next in line to step up to the first team if Liverpool cannot get the centre-back reinforcements they are looking for

Is there enough budget and PSR headroom left to fill their needs?

Yes, definitely, especially when today marks the beginning of a £60m-a-year kit deal with adidas. That figure is extremely conservative and, given bonuses and commercial deals, it could be north of £100m annually.

Sporting director Richard Hughes has recouped more than £190m in player sales in two summers at the club and, since a midfield overhaul in summer 2023, Liverpool were frugal in three consecutive transfer windows and spent just £10m, on the lesser-spotted Chiesa.

In addition, they banked £174.9m for winning the Premier League in prize money and at least £83.8m for their run to the last 16 in the new-look Champions League, with extra matchday revenue thanks to having five home games in the UEFA competition.

Those figures will be higher due to extras and commercial agreements – they are very popular with sponsors, shown by the amount of link-ups they did in Hong Kong and Tokyo during the pre-season tour which has just concluded.

So, in answer to the question about how Liverpool can spend so much, it is because they are generating big revenues. They can buy Isak and a defender without having to worry about breaching PSR rules.

Who are they targeting?

Isak.

The Swede is the dream signing and they have had their first bid turned down, with the Newcastle striker now sullying his reputation at the St James’ Park club by trying to force through a move.

Alexander Isak, you may have heard, is Liverpool's No 1 target for the rest of the window

Isak (right) is back training at the facilities of his former club Real Sociedad, where he spent three years

Mail Sport reported earlier in the summer that they would try to sign him – but it seemed unrealistic at the time due to Newcastle’s staunch stance that he is not for sale.

At the time of writing, that remains the case… but there is hope on Merseyside that Newcastle will budge - not least with Isak currently training 1,000 miles away from Tyneside, at the facilities of his former club Real Sociedad.

If and when that deal happens, Liverpool are ready and primed to go all out to get their man. They do not want to pay the £150m quoted by Newcastle, but hope the player’s tactics can force his employers to lower their demands.

As for defenders, Marc Guehi is one they like but Liverpool are unwilling to meet Crystal Palace’s demands.

There is a hope that, as the end of the window comes closer, FA Cup winners Palace will realise that this is their last chance to sell the captain for a good price – he is out of contract next summer.

Palace are seeking around £45m for Guehi who, given his contract situation and the fact he would be available for much cheaper than most players of his ability, would represent what Liverpool staff call an ‘opportunistic’ signing - not essential but a

With Van Dijk now 34, their main goal is to sign a young defender who can eventually replace the Dutch giant. This has been seen in the last 12 months with their pursuits of Lenny Yoro and Dean Huijsen, teenage defenders who ended up joining Manchester United and Real Madrid respectively.

Joel Ordonez (Club Brugge, 21), Konstantinos Koulierakis (Wolfsburg, 21) and Giovani Leoni (Parma, 18) have all been cited as potential options – Liverpool’s network of scouts have watched them – but nothing more than that, with nothing in the works yet.

Joel Ordonez (left) of Club Brugge is one of the names on Liverpool's centre back list

Greece defender Konstantinos Koulierakis (left) is also liked by the Reds

Jorrel Hato was well liked but the Ajax defender is heading to Chelsea.

Liverpool are set to sign Salford’s 17-year-old striker Will Wright, a move first reported by Mail Sport, for the academy after beating Arsenal to the deal. They also nearly poached Blackpool winger Gabriel Schluter, 16, but complications saw that deal break down at the final stage.

And who is heading for the exit?

Liverpool will look to balance the books slightly in the coming month with sales.

Harvey Elliott is continued to be liked by West Ham but it remains to be seen whether the east London club will cough up the cash required. The Reds want around £45m to sell the England Under 21s star.

Nunez has suitors in Saudi Arabia after Al Hilal made an approach to sign him in January, with his price tag set at £70m. Napoli had been in negotiations but the Italian champions have gone quiet given the fee.

The Uruguay striker has impressed in pre-season with four goals in three halves of football and, although he is more likely than not to leave, he might be forced to stick around if Isak does not end up at Anfield.

Konate has interest from Real Madrid for a move next summer so Liverpool also must solve his contract problems – his deal expires in June 2026 – to avoid another Alexander-Arnold scenario.

Chiesa is likely to depart after just one season which was heavily wrecked by injury. Plenty of clubs in Serie A are lined up to take the Italian back to his homeland.

Real Madrid are interested in Konate, who only has a year left on his Liverpool contract

Federico Chiesa's Anfield stint is set to come to an end after just one season on Merseyside

Young midfielder Tyler Morton is likely to depart with West Ham, Lyon, Braga and Ajax showing an interest in recent weeks. He nearly joined Bayer Leverkusen on loan last summer but the move was blocked by Liverpool – and he barely featured apart from in the Carabao Cup.

Scottish winger Ben Doak was on the pre-season tour and his future also remains open after a season on loan at Middlesbrough where he flourished until an injury. Crystal Palace and Ipswich had bids of around £16m turned down in January, with the Reds wanting closer to £25m. There are a raft of clubs interested in Doak around the Premier League, Championship and abroad, including Everton.

James McConnell will leave on loan and it is believed he is on the verge of signing a new contract before doing so. Ipswich, Derby and West Brom are keen, as are Bundesliga sides.

Other youngsters that could potentially leave are Lewis Koumas, Kaide Gordon, Calvin Ramsay, Luke Chambers, Luca Stephenson and Jayden Danns. Stefan Bajcetic remains at Liverpool but is injured at the moment.

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