Dream Liverpool transfer hopes destroyed as Saudis plot devastating TRIPLE Anfield raid | OneFootball

Liverpool’s hopes of signing a perfect long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk look set to be dashed, while the Saudi Pro League are planning a devastating triple raid on Anfield, per reports.

The Reds have progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals after emphatically beating Galatasaray on Wednesday, but this season has been far from straightforward for Arne Slot.

While the club continue to back their head coach, pressure behind the scenes persists, and the coming months will be crucial in determining whether he’s at the helm for what could be another busy summer window.

Liverpool to miss out on dream Van Dijk successor

Liverpool have been looking to bring in a new top-quality centre-back since last summer, when they failed in their pursuit of Marc Guehi.

This comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of Ibrahima Konate, whose current contract expires at the season’s end. They also want to sign someone who can replace Van Dijk in the long-term, with the Dutchman now 34.

As we have consistently reported, Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni figures very highly on Liverpool’s shortlist.

Interestingly, a report earlier this week claimed that the 41-times capped Italy defender had been identified as one of three top targets at Anfield for prospective new manager Xabi Alonso this summer.

However, their hopes of landing the €80m-rated (£69m, $92.5m) defender look to be fading fast, with sources revealing that the Italian side are growing ‘increasingly confident’ they will retain his services beyond this summer.

To that end, sources are revealing the Serie A leaders’ plans to offer the classy central defender a mega-money contract extension as a sure-fire sign of their commitment to him and in a move that could make him one of Serie A’s highest-paid players of all time.

To that end, TEAMtalk understands that the Serie A giants have ‘no intention’ of parting ways with the highly-rated defender, who has attracted attention from across Europe.

In addition to Liverpool, both Barcelona and Chelsea have been tracking Bastoni closely, with his representatives carrying out checks on potential destinations ahead of the summer window.

Saudis plot TRIPLE Liverpool raid

Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League continue to look to make statement moves and their top target for remains iconic Liverpool star Salah.

We revealed on March 3 that Saudi chiefs are intensifying their interest in the forward and have drawn up a formal offer.

They were previously willing to spend a whopping £100-150million on Salah but are expected to bid just £37m this time around.

But interestingly, a new report has claimed that Konate could follow the Egyptian to Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis are aiming to pounce on Konate’s ‘stalled contract talks’ with Liverpool.

The centre-back could help to improve the ‘calibre and profile’ of the Pro League, while also ‘changing the perception’ that only older players head there, it’s stated.

Surprisingly, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has also appeared on the Saudis’ radar. Shock recent reports have claimed that an agreement is already in place for the director to take charge of Al-Hilal’s transfer plans.

Our sources state that ‘no deal’ is in place between Hughes and Al-Hilal. But journalist Ben Jacobs has confirmed that the Scot is indeed on Al-Hilal’s radar for summer 2027.

Reds tipped to trigger £69m release clause

In other news, reports suggest that Liverpool have set their sights on Sporting CP striker Luis Suarez.

The 28-year-old namesake of a former Reds 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 worked out brilliantly, with the forward 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.