We take a look at the players linked with Liverpool in last year’s summer transfer window.
The season has only just ended but the summer transfer rumour mill is already hotting up. With that in mind, it seems like a good time to catch up with the players linked to Liverpool last summer.
James Milner spent most of the 2016/7 campaign at left-back after Liverpool failed to secure the services of a natural fullback. That being said, there was no shortage of names being linked with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Left-backs Jetro Willems (via Dutch outlet Soccernews), Jonas Hector (via The Daily Star) and Ben Chilwell (via The Mirror) were all names rumoured to be on Klopp’s wish-list.
Willems ended up staying in Dutch football with PSV. The attack-minded 23-year-old made 25 Eredivsie apperances and another five in the Champions League. Willems, whose PSV side finished 3rd behind Ajax and Dirk Kuyt’s Feyenoord, scored a brace in their 4-2 win over AZ Alkmaar in February.
FC Koln persuaded Hector to remain at the club for a seventh year. He has been an integral part of The Billy Goats surprise push for European football and captained his team whenever Matthias Lehmann was absent.
Chilwell featured on 12 occasions for Leicester City in the Premier League. The 20-year-old started in the Foxes final three games of the season, scoring in the humiliating 6-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
If the rumours were anything to go by, Liverpool were also on the lookout for an attacking midfielder last summer.
Borussia Mochengladbach’s Mahmoud Dahoud was strongly linked, by The Guardian, with a switch to Anfield. The move never materialised and the 21-year-old stayed at Borussia-Park to make 28 appearances. Dahoud has since agreed to join Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.
There was also talk of Liverpool trying to bring in Piotr Zielinski (via The Guardian), Lucas Moura (via Sky Sports) and Joao Mario (via The Daily Mail).
Zielinksi swapped Udinese for Napoli in Augus. The Polish midfielder has been a great addition to Maurizo Sarri’s attacking side, picking up five goals and seven assists.
Likewise, Mario moved from Sporting CP to Inter Milan. After being a regular starter for most of the season, Mario was recently dropped to the bench for the Black and Blues win against Lazio.
Moura stayed put with Paris Saint-Germain. The 24-year-old went on to net 12 league goals, including a brace in the 5-0 win over Saint-Etienne earlier this month. Rumours are already resurfacing about a potential move to Anfield for the Brazilian.
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