Liverpool open talks to sign £90m star alongside Diomande

In a period that spanned less than 24 hours, Liverpool emerged from the wilderness in the race to sign Osasuna’s Victor Munoz and hijacked Newcastle United’s move at the eleventh hour.

It was the kind of gambit that you might see toward the end of the market, with clubs scrambling and barging their way toward the pickings still available. But this was FSG at the peak of their powers, taking the Tyneside-bound Spaniard in one fell swoop.

Munoz, 22, is currently in North America, part of Luis de la Fuentes’ Spain squad. He is formerly of Barcelona and Real Madrid, making four senior appearances for the latter.

The Andoni Iraola era is off to a strong start, but Liverpool have hardly done there, still in hot pursuit of Ivory Coast superstar Yan Diomande, as well as further recruits across the park.

Liverpool in talks to sign Premier League star

Munoz and Diomande could shape a new era at Liverpool that will bring goals in their hordes. Certainly, these fleet-footed players are the sort who can lift Iraola’s high-intensity system off the ground.

The 2024/25 champions finished fifth in the Premier League last year, and that led to Arne Slot being dismissed from his post. Liverpool need to do a lot better next year, and while sporting director Richard Hughes is looking to reshape the attack, Liverpool also need new parts in midfield and defence.

At the back, Iraola could welcome Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven, with Dutch reporter Mike Verweij claiming that Liverpool and Barcelona have made contact with his entourage following a contract impasse in north London.

It may be that the 25-year-old is using suitors as leverage to secure a better deal with Spurs, but Liverpool are hard to resist in the transfer market, and if FSG are willing to meet his £90m valuation, Iraola could complete his new backline.

At the moment, we are presented with conflicting reports about Liverpool’s interest, but Van de Ven has been on FSG’s radar in the past, and if Dutch indications are to be believed, Liverpool are at least willing to explore a move for a defender who could make a big difference now that Ibrahima Konate has signed for Real Madrid.

Why Van de Ven can be Liverpool’s next Isak

Konate might have left for Real Madrid, but Liverpool chiefs would point toward Jeremy Jacquet, signed ahead of time in January for £60m, as a ready-made successor. Giovanni Leoni is also striving for fitness ahead of pre-season, having been ruined by an ACL rupture on his debut for the Merseysiders.

Liverpool need a defender such as Van de Ven, and while he might not be quite the same player, he could curiously end up emulating Alexander Isak in completing a big-money move to Liverpool this summer.

If the Reds add the Dutchman to their squad to the tune of £90m, they will reinforce their backline, for sure, but they will also sign a one-of-a-kind player who is capable of sublime, able to use his athleticism and pace and power to achieve things beyond the capacity of other centre-backs.

When Anfield comes a-calling, players tend to listen. Van de Ven is something of a talisman at Tottenham, albeit in a different way to Isak at St. James’ Park. Should the Reds firm up their intrigue, we could see something of a repeat, something of a jackpot strike against a Premier League rival for the second summer window in a row.

Isak joined Liverpool from Newcastle for a record-breaking £125m fee last summer, and while Van de Ven wouldn’t arrive for quite so much, it would eclipse the £80m fee Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.

Is Van de Ven worth it? It might not seem so, having been stuck in a relegation-threatened Tottenham team, but he is one of the best in the business, a difference-maker for an outfit who have benefited from his profile and then some as they have avoided the drop. In that, he has been a “monster” for his side, so says reporter Elliot Jackson.

Isak suffered across his maiden campaign at Liverpool, but who can doubt the Swedish striker’s world-class quality? Iraola will be expected to get a tune out of the 26-year-old, and the same again for Van de Ven.

There’s no question that this would be an ambitious attempt from Liverpool, btu one that could be well worth the effort. Van de Ven is like Isak in that he is coveted by his outfit, instrumental in securing silverware after a long drought. He is a talisman, and he could carry that to a Liverpool side eyeing a higher level of success.