Sports'Next few hours' - Manager hints LFC exit could be imminent; Reds want cash injection
Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic has confirmed his club’s interest in signing Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies.
The lowdown
Liverpool spent £2million to bring Davies to Anfield in the January transfer window. It was something of an emergency signing, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all sidelined until the end of the season (via BBC Sport).
Davies, though, didn’t see a minute of action in the latter half of the campaign, sitting behind Nathaniel Phillips, Rhys Williams and loanee Ozan Kabak in Jurgen Klopp’s pecking order.
He did don the Liverpool shirt at the beginning of pre-season, featuring in a 30-minute mini-game against Austrian outfit Wacker Innsbruck, but he’s since returned to the UK to address a personal matter.
According to journalist David Lynch, the Reds are keen to arrange a permanent exit for the 25-year-old but accept that a loan deal is more likely.
The latest
Speaking ahead of United’s Championship season opener against Birmingham City, Jokanovic said (via Yorkshire Live): “Yes, I am interested in both players [the second being Sampdoria midfielder Ronaldo Vieira].
“People are on their way. We move and are expecting in these next few hours there can be some news.
“We are in different battles, but I hope we will bring in as soon as possible a new addition into the squad.”
The verdict
If a sale isn’t possible this summer, then Liverpool should look to line one up next year. They could do so by inserting a clause into the loan whereby the Blades would have to sign Davies if he played a certain number of games over the course of the season.
He cost just £2million but that was largely because he had only six months left to run on his deal. On the ability and experience he’s shown in the second tier, you’d think the Reds could at least double their money if he impresses on a temporary deal.
If Davies is to go elsewhere, Liverpool should ensure they keep Phillips around as an insurance option in the event of another injury pile-up.
In other news, fans react to a contract update from James Pearce.
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