Richard Hughes can secure bargain deal for La Liga sensation now | OneFootball

Richard Hughes can secure bargain deal for La Liga sensation now | OneFootball

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Icon: Anfield Watch

Anfield Watch

·26 June 2026

Richard Hughes can secure bargain deal for La Liga sensation now

Article image:Richard Hughes can secure bargain deal for La Liga sensation now

Liverpool may have already got the transfer of Victor Munoz over the line but, the Spaniard alone won't be enough for them to start challenging for the Premier League title again.

There are many areas among the Reds' ranks that could do with a new player or two being brought in but, since they spent over £450 million last summer, they need to be smart about their transfer decisions.


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Of course, they do have some players that they can sell but, since they're holding out for a 'much higher' bid from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones, they could end up not moving him on.

This would result in them being able to sign even less players which is why every penny counts.

Several players have already been linked with an Anfield switch, but, there's one from La Liga who stands out as an ideal option for Richard Hughes to sign this summer.

Andrei Ratiu is a perfect player for Liverpool to sign

Reports originally surfaced from Anfield Index around a week ago stating that Liverpool were eyeing a move for the Romanian.

The right-back may be 28 years old but, since he's got a €25 million release clause in his contract and has a wealth of La Liga experience under his belt, he could be a perfect option for Liverpool to explore.

Indeed, they may have spent £29.5 million on Jeremie Frimpong last term but, from the few games he's been used as a full-back by Liverpool, it's clear that his defensive awareness is nowhere near good enough to be the Reds' first-choice.

Of course, they do still have Conor Bradley among their ranks but, since nobody knows when he's going to return from injury, he can't really be relied upon.

And, since Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones are both much better when used in their natural positions, Andoni Iraola doesn't really have many right-back options at his disposal.

Hence why making a move for Ratiu could be the best move for them.

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Jeremie Frimpong doesn't have long to prove his worth to Andoni Iraola

When Frimpong first joined Liverpool last summer, the Dutchman was expected to be a perfect replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Each of them had plenty of attacking prowess and, even though neither were the best defensively, the things they offered in other areas of the pitch made up for it.

And, even though most people thought Alexander-Arnold was bad at defending, Frimpong is much worse.

His best asset is his lightning quick pace and, to be fair to him, he can cross a ball fairly well.

This skillset sounds more like a winger than anything else but, even when he was used there, his shooting was nowhere near the standards expected for a Premier League attacker.

Of course, with a new manager at the helm he's likely to be given a decent chance to prove his worth but, if Ratiu comes in and Liverpool sign someone such as Yan Diomande, he's going to drop even further down the pecking order.

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