When the summer transfer window opens, Liverpool hopes to reshape their squad
Liverpool are said to be ‘interested’ in signing Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler at the end of the season in order to bolster their homegrown numbers. Jorg Schmadtke, the club’s sporting director, signed the 34-year-old, who is now in advanced talks to move to Anfield himself.
Jurgen Klopp is hoping to shake up his squad significantly over the summer after an underwhelming season in which his team struggled to make an impact in the title race. Over the last few weeks, the Merseyside club has managed to resurrect their chances of finishing in the Champions League, but more progress is required.
Several fringe stars will depart the Reds at the end of the season, with the vast majority of those players falling into the ‘homegrown’ category. James Milner, who is set to join Brighton, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are both out of contract at the end of the season, and Nat Phillips and Caoimhin Kelleher are also potentially on the market.
With Kelleher heavily linked with a move away from Anfield after reportedly telling the club that he no longer wants to play second fiddle to Alisson, Klopp is expected to be on the lookout for a backup goalkeeper. According to Bild, the ex-Borussia Dortmund player could be on his way to resolving both of his immediate problems by signing Zieler.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper only has a year left on his contract with Hannover, and there is speculation that he could be enticed to join Liverpool. The Bundesliga 2 club will be unable to compete with the financial package that Zieler may be offered, and a transfer fee would undoubtedly soften the blow.
Zieler was one of Schmadtke’s most important pieces of business when establishing himself as a sporting director, and he could be pivotal in negotiations with the former Leicester City shot-stopper.
Given that Zieler is a homegrown player, Liverpool may believe that having an experienced figure behind the scenes is exactly what they need to tick boxes and progress. Klopp may also try to bring in more homegrown talent this summer, with the Premier League allowing clubs to name a 25-man squad if eight of those players qualify.
The Reds were forced to name a 23-man squad this season due to only having seven homegrown stars, but Curtis Jones will qualify next season, joining Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Jordan Henderson in the team’s core English group. Sepp van den Berg, Rhys Williams, Leighton Clarkson, and Vitezslav Jaros will all qualify as homegrown players beginning next season, though they will most likely spend the season on loan.
Leave a Reply