Liverpool to meet £69m exit clause to sign penalty box predator with same name as club icon – report | OneFootball

Liverpool are reported to have listed Sporting CP striker Luis Suarez as a top target ahead of a major summer rebuild at Anfield, which has suggested up to six players, including the ‘Premier League’s best player over the last decade, are all poised to leave.

After splashing out £440m (€505m, $600m) on new players at Anfield last summer, club overlords, FSG, will likely have expected far better than what has been delivered so far this season. While through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League, Liverpool are way off the pace in the Premier League title race and will concede their crown this season, and with Arsenal favourites to win it for the first time since 2004.

As a result, more work on boosting the Liverpool squad will need to be done this summer and to ensure the Reds are far more competitive next season.

And despite splashing out a British record fee of £130m to sign Alexander Isak last summer, together with a £69m investment for Hugo Ekitike, reports in Spain now claim the Reds are pushing to add a new centre forward to their ranks in the form of Suarez.

The 28-year-old namesake of the iconic former Liverpool No.7 is a 28-year-old Colombia international, signed by Sporting CP last summer as the replacement for Viktor Gyokeres, who joined Arsenal.

The move from Almeria to Sporting has certainly paid dividends, with the striker notching 32 goals in 41 games so far for the Champions League quarter-finalists.

And while protected by a €80m (£69m, €92.5m) exit clause, the report claims Liverpool are ready to meet that clause to bring the eight-times capped star to Anfield.

‘At Anfield, they’re looking to bolster their attack with a proven player, and Luis Suárez fits the bill perfectly,’ the report reads.

‘His experience, his goalscoring instinct, and his ability to compete at the highest level make him a very serious option.

‘The English club is seriously considering paying his release clause, set at 80 million euros. A high figure, but in line with his current performance.’

A real penalty box predator, Suarez describes himself as a striker who likes to play off the shoulder, and as a strong and agile striker, who stays focused on goal and is willing to work defensively for the team – traits which are pretty similar to his namesake who scored an impressive 82 goals in 133 games for the Reds between 2011 and 2014 before departing for Barcelona.

Liverpool plan mass clearout with six names to leave

At this point, we’ve received no confirmation that the links to the Sporting CP striker are genuine, and we understand that, while Liverpool do want to boost their attack, their energies will be focused on signing a wide attacking option to effectively replace Mohamed Salah and provide cover and competition for the often inconsistent Cody Gakpo.

At 28 years old, Suarez also does not really fit the age profile of player that Liverpool tend to target, so at this point, we can probably file this one under fanciful at best.

However, what is being reported by a trusted source is that Liverpool are prepared to move on up to five or six of their first-team squad this summer, with Mohamed Salah – described as the ‘best player in the Premier League over the last decade’ – among those who could depart.

The update comes from the trusted Lewis Steele, who has branded the upcoming 2026 window as “the summer of uncertainty”, and having named the six Liverpool first-team regulars he believes will face being sold this summer.

The exodus could well begin with Salah, whom Steele has explained remains far from happy and will decide whether to quit Anfield or not, in the next six weeks.

In addition, Steele believes Andy Robertson, Federico Chiesa, Curtis Jones, and potentially both Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez could also depart, having made a decent argument for the departures of all six players this summer.

Liverpool target Klopp Mk II as next boss; €100m Brazilian tracked

Meanwhile, Liverpool are reported to have listed an elite Bundesliga manager as a genuine option to succeed Arne Slot, should the Reds decide to sack the Dutchman after an underwhelming season at Anfield.

However, all the talk continues to focus on Xabi Alonso as the clear choice to succeed Slot. As a result, a report earlier this week claimed the Spaniard has made clear his first three transfer demands to Liverpool bosses, with three world-class signings worth a combined £245m on his Anfield wishlist.