Liverpool target Exequiel Palacios has decided to sign a new contract with Bayer Leverkusen and commit his future to the German club.
Exequiel Palacios had emerged as a Liverpool transfer target but he has now signed a new Bayer Leverkusen contract.
Liverpool were linked with a host of midfield players over the course of the summer with Jurgen Klopp re-tooling his engine room.
Liverpool ended up signing Alexis Mac Allister and three Bundesliga midfielders as Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch arrived from RB Leipzig, Stuttgart and Bayern Munich respectively.
The Reds seemingly had another name in the mix though with Leverkusen ace Palacios on the Anfield radar…
Liverpool were keen on Exequiel Palacios
The Athletic reported in August that Liverpool were showing a real interest in signing Palacios.
We can imagine that Liverpool are keeping close tabs on the progress of their former midfielder and current Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso.
Palacios has gone from strength to strength under Alonso and has enjoyed a superb start the season.
The 24-year-old has already bagged two goals and two assists in five Bundesliga games whilst partnering Granit Xhaka in midfield.
Palacios won the World Cup with Argentina in December and had put himself on Liverpool’s wish list – but a move to Anfield now seems very difficult.
Palacios signs new Bayer Leverkusen contract
Leverkusen have now confirmed that Palacios has signed a new contract until the summer of 2028, committing his future to the club for years to come.
This comes after Leverkusen also secured a new deal for star defender Edmond Tapsoba, with the Bundesliga side really building an impressive side.
“Exequiel Palacios has established himself as an incredibly important player at the Werkself. The fact he was a key member of the Argentina team at the World Cup in Qatar underlines his qualities as a team and individual player,” said sporting director Simon Rolfes. “Exequiel has often and successfully put his exceptional power and aggression on the pitch as well as his strategic and playing qualities to the benefit of our team. We are convinced he can assume an even more key role in the future,” he added.
Leverkusen would now be in a position to demand huge money if Liverpool came knocking for Palacios, with the window of opportunity seemingly closed for now.
Liverpool will be happy with their recruitment anyway, adding four new midfielders to Klopp’s ranks with any interest in Palacios surely shelved for the foreseeable future.
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