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UP THE REDS!

6 more Liverpool players who could still move before transfer deadline

The summer transfer window will close at 11pm on September 1, with at least six Liverpool players in line for potential moves before the deadline hits.

It has been a decidedly busy summer for Liverpool, with three incomings including club-record signing Darwin Nunez and five first-team outgoings including Sadio Mane.

A total of £99.2 million has been spent on Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay, with £71.6 million brought back in from the sales of Mane, Neco Williams, Takumi Minamino and Ben Davies.

Divock Origi is among those to have left on the expiry of his contract, while Conor Bradley, Tyler Morton, Owen Beck, Leighton Clarkson and Billy Koumetio lead the group out on loan.

But as the hours tick by, there could still be more business at Anfield – at least in terms of outgoings.

Naby Keita

LEIPZIG, GERMANY - Thursday, July 21, 2022: Liverpool's Naby Keita during a pre-season friendly match between RB Leipzig and Liverpool FC at the Red Bull Arena. Liverpool won 5-0. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The most eye-catching name in this regard is Naby Keita, who according to reports in Germany is considering his immediate future with the Reds.

Keita is into the final year of his contract and has already been linked with Dortmund and former club RB Leipzig, though Jurgen Klopp has insisted his No. 8 “will not go.”

If any deal is struck for the 27-year-old, though, the manager has confirmed that “there must be a replacement.”

Centre-back duo

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 15, 2022: Liverpool's Nathaniel Phillips during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

More likely to depart are at least one or both of Nat Phillips and Sepp van den Berg, who have been attracting interest from England and abroad.

Phillips has been touted with moves to Bournemouth, Burnley, Fulham or back to Germany, where he spent the 2019/20 season with Stuttgart in the second tier.

Twenty-year-old defender Van den Berg, meanwhile, is expected to join Blackburn on a season-long loan, though Burnley are also interested along with sides in Germany.

Any decision on the futures of Phillips and Van den Berg rests on the fitness of Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate, who are currently sidelined and in need of covering on the substitutes’ bench.

It seems possible that one of the two will be retained, with Phillips the most feasible candidate unless a sizeable permanent offer is received.

More loan deals?

KIDDERMINSTER, ENGLAND - Friday, July 22, 2022: Liverpool's Jack Cain (L) leads his side out before a pre-season Under-21's friendly between Kidderminster Harriers FC and Liverpool FC Under-21's at Aggborough Stadium. (Pic by Peter Hinkley/Propaganda)

Further down the ranks, academy midfielder Jake Cain has set his sights on another loan move after spending the previous campaign with Newport County in League Two.

“I’m ready for another challenge,” he explained earlier this month.

“I need to go on loan again, I need men’s football, and I feel now that I’ll be ready to hit the ground running when the opportunity comes. I know that I’m ready.”

Swindon and Crewe are reported to have enquired over the 20-year-old’s availability.

Temporary moves have also been mooted for two others from the under-21s, with forwards Paul Glatzel, 21, and Jack Bearne, 20, possibly moving.

For Glatzel, though, any loan deal would hinge on the striker proving his fitness following a season-ending hamstring injury with Tranmere in March.

The likes of Max Woltman, Layton Stewart, Mateusz Musialowski and James Norris have also been suggested also potential loan departures, but it is unlikely Liverpool will leave themselves so short of bodies in the academy.