It’s only a matter of time before the January transfer window moves into high gear. Clubs now only have a little over two weeks to conclude any deals, and regardless of whether Liverpool is active or not before the end of the month, the Premier League as a whole will surely burst into a flurry of activity sooner or later.
Some clubs are battling Financial Fair Play restrictions, something Newcastle admitted after releasing its accounts recently. But even with that in mind, the world’s richest league can’t be expected to remain restrained for too long, and Liverpool will expect its rivals to blink.
In particular, Chelsea is bound to throw more money at its many and varied problems. Sure enough, the latest report suggests it has already had a big bid rejected — for a player who has been on Liverpool’s radar, as it weighs up whether or not it needs to enter the market to address its rather threadbare defense.
The other area of interest for the Reds is in defensive midfield, where Morten Frendrup has been mentioned. However, it might not have a clear run if it decides to make a move, with Spurs now in the race as well.
Here, Liverpool.com takes a scan around the other big sides in the Premier League and around Europe to take a look at the news going on at the other clubs. We started with Chelsea’s latest attempted splurge.
Spurs join Liverpool in Frendrup pursuit
The ECHO revealed at the start of this month that Liverpool is keeping a watching brief on Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup. That’s most likely with an eye on a potential move in the summer, as scouts get a better picture of the 22-year-old.
However, the Reds may be forced into deciding if it wants to bring those plans forward. That’s because Spurs now hold an interest in Frendrup too, per Give Me Sport.
Chelsea ‘has $66m António Silva offer rejected’
Chelsea has had the door slammed in its face in its attempts to sign António Silva from Benfica. That’s according to Portuguese outlet A Bola (as translated by Sport Witness).
The Blues reportedly tabled a bid of $66m (£52m/€60m), exactly half of his release clause. Benfica would want that clause met in full in order to part with its star defender in January, and has pointed suitors in that direction.
Liverpool is among the sides apparently interested in Silva, with 90MIN claiming last month that it has sent scouts. Manchester United is also mentioned in the latest report. But it seems highly unlikely that anyone will prize him away for the time being.
