Liverpool have received a major midfield boost ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, with Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic in line to return to training on Saturday.
Thiago has been sidelined since undergoing surgery on a long-standing hip flexor complaint in May.
Bajcetic also missed the back end of last season due to injury, the teenager being forced to sit out as a result of a stress response around the adductor.
However, This Is Anfield understands both players are set to return to training on Saturday as the Reds resume work at Kirkby following their pre-season visit to Singapore.
The news comes as a timely boost to Jurgen Klopp, whose midfield options look thin following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
Liverpool are still working on a possible deal for Southampton‘s Romeo Lavia, but fell short of the south coast club’s £50 million valuation with their first two bids.
Fluminense star Andre Trindade has emerged as a potential alternative, though no firm progress has been made since initial contact with the Brazilian side.
Even should deals for either be completed imminently, it seems unlikely that they would be handed a start for the season opener at Chelsea on August 13.
Summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are in contention, but it remains to be seen who will occupy the holding midfield role in the capital with Bajcetic and Thiago likely far from full fitness.
Curtis Jones played the position to mixed effect as Liverpool rounded off their trip to Singapore with a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich.
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ‘still working hard to sign’ another midfielder apart from Romeo Lavia
Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp is eyeing another midfielder to sign in addition to their move for Southampton star Romeo Lavia.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could sign a fourth midfielder this summer even if Romeo Lavia eventually arrives from Southampton as the Red Devils look to complete their squad transition. The German coach has seen five midfielders leave this summer, with the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leaving gaps in his squad, and reports in Germany suggest Klopp is watching consider another deal before the season begins.
Klopp brought in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a total of £115m from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively. He desperately wanted to bring Lavia in to infuse a bit of youth into her aging side.
Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all free transfers at the end of June, meaning there’s plenty of room to add to Klopp’s squad ahead of the season.
His current picks apart from Mac Allister and Szoboszlai are Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and Stefan Bajcetic.
And after deciding to sell captains Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi clubs Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad, the 55-year-old has returned to the market to buy two more players to strengthen his footing. his squad.
The Reds’ interest in Lavia has been well documented, with two offers already rejected for the 19-year-old Belgian. Southampton are not under pressure to sell and are holding on to a £50m valuation for the former Manchester City academy graduate, while Chelsea are also monitoring his situation.
And as they continue to discuss a fee with the Championship team, Liverpool are set to launch a move for Ryan Gravenberch. According to the Bayern Insider podcast, relayed by Voetbal Primeur, the midfielder is still open to leaving this summer.
Gravenberch joined Ajax in a £20m deal last summer but has only made three starts in the Bundesliga, with 21 substitute appearances showing his role as a backup under the spell. Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel.
The report adds that Klopp is a huge fan of the 21-year-old and believes he can reach his full potential at Anfield after a disappointing debut season in Germany.
He took a closer look at the midfield after playing 30 minutes in the 4-3 loss to the Bavarian giants on Wednesday.
Ultimately, the final decision will rest with Bayern Munich as they consider keeping him in the team, loaning him or a permanent transfer.
Gravenberch has made a public appeal for more first-team appearances at Bayern this season and hinted that he could be looking for a new club if he doesn’t get a guarantee of test time. fight.
“I was expecting to play more minutes than I did. I thought I would have more chances. It’s just wanting to play, that’s the most important thing at my age,” he said. declare.
“I hope it will be at Bayern – otherwise we will have to look further. I want to play, but the manager chooses other players. I have to accept it, but it’s hard.
“I was hoping to play more but I had to stay calm. I told everyone I don’t want another year like this. Of course you can’t always be in the starting XI, but you can always play regularly – you can win a lot of minutes.”
