27 Mar 2016 20:01:20
Hi ed01 transfer update?

{Ed001's Note - right now there is no one in the squad that is untouchable. Klopp wants to thin down the squad and, while there are a few players he would like to keep hold of, there is no one he is desperate to hang on to if a big offer came in. So any plans on recruitment might need to change quickly, as players leave, though most will not need replacing as our squad is bloated.

Klopp would like to build around the Brazilian pair of Coutinho and Firmino, with Stewart, Flanagan and a few of the other youngsters also highly unlikely to be sold. But ridiculous offers will be accepted for anyone.

The priority is (in no particular order) goalkeeper, left back and a centre back, with a wide player also wanted. Obviously there are other positions being looked at, just in case someone important leaves, but, as they are not priority there is little point me discussing them here. I will just stick to the four main priorities.

So starting with keeper, these are ones we have looked at, that I know of, though some are highly unlikely:
Mattia Perin (Genoa)
Bernd Leno (Leverkusen)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray)
Jasper Cillessen (Ajax)
Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Ralf Fahrmann (Schalke)
Salvatore Sirigu (PSG)
Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover)
Timo Horn (Koln)
Loris Karius (Mainz)
Matz Sels (Gent)
Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)
Perin seems unlikely, he is most likely to be the Buffon replacement at Juventus. Mandanda is out of contract in the summer, if I remember rightly, so he could well end up being the chosen keeper. Though, this being Klopp, he might well go for someone completely out of the blue, such as Kalinic of Hajduk Split or Christian Mathenia of Darmstadt. Both are well known to Klopp and his staff, so would not require the extensive scouting that gives away interest, and both had been looked at by Dortmund while he was in charge and tracked since.

Centre backs is interesting, with Mats Hummels being impossible to rule out as an option. I doubt we would be looking to spend the kind of money it would take to get him, but he would be interested. He did an interview for BeIn Sports talking about how wonderful Klopp is and how great it was working for him recently, so it is not just hearsay either. Still, we have shown no sign of interest yet, but then we would not need to scout him. Personally I would say that it is not happening, but it is an outside chance. Though it seems more likely Klopp would go for Neven Subotic, if he were to pick someone up from his old club, as he thinks he is more physically suited to the Prem.
Shkrodran Mustafi and Aymen Abdennour (Valencia)
Ezequiel Garay (Zenit)
Konstantinos Manolas (Roma)
Stefan de Vrijj (Lazio)
Aleksandr Dragovic (Kyiv)
Nicolas N'Koulou (Marseille)
Juan Jesus (Inter)
Winston Reid (West Ham)
John Anthony Brooks (Hertha)
Martin Caceres (Juventus)
Joel Veltman (Ajax)
There are a few in South American football that have been suggested to Klopp, such as Eder Balanta and Hugo Nervo, but they seem highly unlikely to happen. Especially Balanta, who has so many clubs chasing him. We were also looking at Kevin Wimmer of Spurs, while he was out of the side, but it looks like the chance of picking him up have gone now he is playing regularly.

Left backs options do include some players, such as Juan Jesus mentioned above, who can also play centre half, which tells you how little Klopp feels he can rely on the fitness of Sakho.
Jose Luis Gaya (Valencia)
Lucas Digne (Roma)
Jetro Willems (PSV)
Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient)
Sead Kolasinac (Schalke)
Arthur Masuaku (Olympiakos)
Terence Kongolo (Feyenoord)
Jonny Castro (Celta)
Andrew Robertson (Hull)
Ali Adnan (Udinese)
Jin-Su Kim (Hoffenheim)
Filip Mladenovic (Koln)
Gaya to me looks very similar to Moreno, slightly quicker, better delivery, but lightweight. Jonny is more of a utility player who can fill in across the backline, so is probably being considered as a back up option, I would think. I haven't really seen enough of the rest, and I am sure I have missed some, such as the really difficult to spell lad Kolodjziek (sp??) who I am not sure if he is a left back or centre back, having never seen him play.}

1.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 08:37:20
Thanks for the detailed update ed.

2.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 10:10:02
Top update Ed. interesting you mentioned Kalamic. He looks a decent prospect and is a man mountain of a keeper.

3.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 10:38:12
Who would you personally go for Ed001?

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - I don't know mate, I haven't really looked at as many games as I usually do of late. The sites keep me too busy, so I have not been able to watch most of these players.}

4.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 12:48:52
Hi Ed how about the attackers and Wingers?

{Ed001's Note - how about them?}

5.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 13:46:24
Isn't mustafi wanted by bayern, ed1? And have we scouted or are we cruelly interested?

{Ed001's Note - last I heard he was keen on a return to England to prove himself. Which is what spawned a whole host of clubs to watch him. We have scouted Valencia a few times, watching both centre halves and the left back. Considering how badly they are doing, I can't see anyone being impressed with them. Though personally I quite like what I have seen of Mustafi.}

6.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 14:17:40
Yeah when I have seen Valencia play this season they haven't really looked troubled at the back but just failed to create anything or add a touch of class. Although obviously conceding 8 in a game, even to Bracelona, doesn't say a lot for a defence.
Mustafi impressed me when I saw him for Germany a year or two back.

7.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 15:32:17
I wouldn't mind mandanda on a free at all. He is a top quality keeper and is quite underrated. He would command his box better than ter stegen would that's for sure.

8.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 16:36:02
I'd go for Ziegler, he's got a great name.

9.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 18:29:25
Digne and de vrij player who we were linked with in the past caught my eyes

After Hummel's of course.

10.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 19:11:49
I`ve watched Mandanda for years. great shot stopper and organizer BUT is quite poor at crosses BUT very authoritative and is a leader and capt. of OM for the past 4 years. Not sure he would improve us tho BUT I`ll be ok if he came.

11.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 20:06:16
Mandanda is very poor on crosses and doesn't really command his area, reminds me of Barthez. Didn't rate him either!

12.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 20:37:46
Hey ed, cheers for the wonderful update! Most of the goalkeeper names make me increasingly optimistic!
Could you be bothered to share the list of offensive targets we are monitoring as well? It seems rather clear that we will be adding a player for the attack, though with Marcovic coming back, and Danny Ings, as well, it needs to be only one, if at all - we are stocked with good offensive midfielders as it is. The media seem to be assured said addition is to be Gotze. I am not sure how optimistic I am about this, he does not strike me as any different from what Couts and Lallana offer out wide, while Firmino needs to play in the centre. What I do seem to recall is that he was rather good for set pieces, which might be a huge asset, but I haven't really paid attention to him since he betrayed his boyhood club and turned tail to their rivals.

{Ed001's Note - I am not aware of any interest from us in Goetze, it is him talking about moving to us.}

13.) 29 Mar 2016
29 Mar 2016 22:49:37
If I had to pick a GK, it would be Timo Horn.

14.) 30 Mar 2016
30 Mar 2016 02:46:01
Ed I meant any update about possible interest on wingers and Attackers?

{Ed001's Note - oh ok, no not yet, sorry.}

15.) 30 Mar 2016
30 Mar 2016 04:38:37
Ed001 - Is that Kolodziejczak from Sevilla that you were talking about? I think he started out as LB with Lyon but has moved centrally with Sevilla.

{Ed001's Note - yes exactly, I have no idea which position we are considering him for.}

16.) 30 Mar 2016
30 Mar 2016 08:24:42
Ter Stegen.
Digne.
And Hummels would be excellent but a long shot.

17.) 30 Mar 2016
30 Mar 2016 11:22:49
Ed, do you know for a fact Gotze is keen on us?

{Ed002's Note - Goetze is a real nuisance in that he will say things to the media and that leads to him uipsetting the clubs - it has happened with Bayern and with Dortmund. The situation is that Goetze wants out of Bayern Munich as he is now a fringe player - maybe that will change with Ancelotti. Juventus and Dortmund know what Bayern Munich are asking. Goetze talks of Klopp and how they stay in touch so may well be open to a move. If Liverpool are interested then they need to contact Bayern - which they have not done at this time. Perhaps they will, but for now no.}

18.) 30 Mar 2016
30 Mar 2016 12:33:17
To be honest, as long as the players ahead of him in the pecking order stay fit, I can't see it changing with Ancelotti.

I have almost no doubt that Liverpool are interested. Typically reliable Liverpool journos have indicated so, plus someone I know who used to work for Liverpool has indicated the same. But I don't doubt your info that we haven't contacted Bayern.

19.) 01 Apr 2016
01 Apr 2016 00:42:39
Thanks for the update ED001.

{Ed001's Note - you are welcome mate.}