StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

RICHARD HUGHES’S JANUARY MOVE: BOX-TO-BOX DAVIDE FRATTESI TO BOLSTER ARNE SLOT'S TITLE BID

Sporting Director Richard Hughes may move for Inter Milan's Davide Frattesi to solve Liverpool's midfield depth issues. Separately, Real Madrid eyes Florian Wirtz.

Richard Hughes’s January Move: Box-to-Box Davide Frattesi to Bolster Arne Slot's Title Bid
Liverpool Targets Inter Star to Fix Midfield Depth Mistake

It's said that Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, might try to fix a transfer window mistake by adding to Arne Slot's midfield in January. An Italian player is reportedly on their list.

The Reds haven't always won the midfield battle this season, which is part of why their Premier League title defence isn't going so well. They're currently 10 points behind Arsenal, who are leading the league.

Even though Hughes spent big on players like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz over the summer, he didn't think another midfielder was needed. But reports from Spain say that Liverpool might soon get a boost in that area.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister struggled in the second half, and Dominik Szoboszlai's ankle injury could also hurt the Reds, depending on how bad it is. This is because Liverpool doesn't have enough depth in midfield.

Because of this, the Spanish source Fichajes says that Liverpool is one of four Premier League clubs interested in Inter Milan's Davide Frattesi.

The 26-year-old is a midfielder who can play both offence and defence, but he hasn't been starting much under Cristian Chivu. The Italian player, who has a contract until 2028, has only started one Serie A game this season, which is seen as a waste of his skill in Italy.

The report mentions that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham are all watching Frattesi, believing his situation is a good chance to sign him.

Liverpool is thinking about signing him to give Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch some support. Frattesi would add depth and a tactical option to the team.

Frattesi, who has played for Italy 33 times, first joined Inter on loan from Sassuolo in 2023. He won the Serie A title and was a Champions League runner-up last season.

Even so, he hasn't played in Inter's last four Serie A games and could be a good addition for the Reds in January.

Also, there are rumours that Real Madrid is still interested in Liverpool's Florian Wirtz.

Reports from Spain say again that Real Madrid is ready to spend a lot of money to bring Florian Wirtz to the Bernabeu in 2026.

Real Madrid's coach, Xabi Alonso, has coached Wirtz before at Bayer Leverkusen, and the Spanish source Defensa Central says that Wirtz might join another former Reds player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, in Madrid.

The Real Madrid source says that Liverpool is ready to sell Wirtz to Real Madrid for €110 million (£96.4m, $129.5m). However, this source isn't always the most reliable.

Defensa also says that Alonso wanted Madrid to sign Wirtz in the summer of 2025 when he became the manager.

Even though Wirtz hasn't had a big impact at Anfield yet, our sources say that Liverpool still believes in the 22-year-old.

He hasn't scored any goals and has only made five assists in 21 games for the Reds this season, which isn't what Liverpool was hoping for. But that doesn't mean they're already trying to sell him.

WHY DID JEREMY JACQUET SNUB CHELSEA FOR LIVERPOOL? THE SECRET VIRGIL CONNECTION

Liverpool secure Jeremy Jacquet in a £60m Deadline Day coup. The 20-year-old chose Anfield over Chelsea for a summer move.

top-news
Liverpool scouted Jeremy Jacquet in secret before the huge £60m bid

Liverpool turned heads on Transfer Deadline Day when Arne Slot jumped into the mix and snapped up one of Europe’s brightest young talents.

The Reds dropped £55 million up front—plus another potential £5 million in add-ons—to bring in Jeremy Jacquet. He’ll link up with his new teammates this summer. Chelsea hovered around the deal too, but Jacquet chose Liverpool over the Blues.

French football pundit Julian Laurens isn’t shy about his excitement. He told Sky Sports, “He’s the real deal. Sure, he’s only 20. He hasn’t played for France yet, and you won’t find him in the Champions League or Europa League. But he’s already shown so much. Last season, Rennes brought him back from a second division loan, and this year, playing under Habib Beye, he’s just kept improving. You can’t miss with this kid. He’s going to be special.

“He reminds me of when William Saliba broke through at Saint-Etienne, or even Wesley Fofana. The point is, if you really value untapped talent, you’re willing to pay big. And Liverpool just did—because Jacquet’s that promising.”

Jacquet grew up in Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani. It’s up in Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of central Paris.

His football education, though, happened at Rennes out in Brittany. He came up through their academy, playing alongside guys like Desire Doue—who won the Champions League with PSG—and Tottenham’s Mathys Tel.

Back then, Jacquet idolised Paul Pogba, but once they moved him to centre-back, he started looking up to Virgil van Dijk.

He made his first-team debut for Rennes in January 2024, then went on loan to Clermont Foot 63, who were fighting relegation in Ligue 1. Even after they went down, Rennes kept him out on loan because he did so well with the French U19 squad.

But in February 2025, Rennes called him back, and he’s been a regular for Habib Beye ever since.

Asked about his playing style, Jacquet said, “I’m calm on the ball—maybe I look a little nonchalant, but I’m always focused. What makes me stand out is playing out from the back and breaking lines with the right pass.”

JEREMY JACQUET UPDATE: FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS LIVERPOOL INTEREST BUT RENNES DEMAND CLUB-RECORD FEE

Liverpool is battling Chelsea and Bayern Munich for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet as Arne Slot faces a mounting injury crisis.

top-news
Liverpool is in advanced talks for Jeremy Jacquet, but Rennes hold out for the summer

Liverpool really wants to sign Jeremy Jacquet this month, but with Chelsea, Man United, and Arsenal also circling, it looks like they’ll have to wait until summer.

They just locked in a spot in the Champions League last 16 after cruising past Qarabag FK, so things are looking good on that front. This season, they’ve already faced a couple of those big clubs—snatching a last-gasp win over Atletico thanks to Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header, but coming up short with a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Turkey.

On Wednesday, Ryan Gravenberch ended up playing centre-back because Joe Gomez is out injured, and Ibrahima Konate is still away after his father passed away. They're really stretched at the back, especially with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both dealing with long-term injuries. The club decided not to go after Marc Guehi this month, which let Manchester City snap him up for under £30 million.

Now, Liverpool is eyeing Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. L’Equipe reported in January that Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all want him. Fabrizio Romano gave an update, saying Liverpool would love to get the deal done now, but Rennes just don’t want to sell until summer. So, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern are all talking to Rennes and Jacquet’s people, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

With all these injuries piling up, people are wondering if Liverpool might try to bring in someone before the window closes. Arne Slot responded, saying the club always tries to make smart decisions, thinking about both the short and long term. That’s why they focus on signing young talent who can still develop—sometimes you just have to be patient and trust the process.

He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t have a massive squad packed with four right-backs, a dozen midfielders, or a handful of strikers. They need to be clever about their moves, balancing immediate needs with future plans.

As for the latest on injuries, Slot said they’ll see how Jeremie Frimpong is doing—maybe he won’t be fit for Saturday, but he could be ready soon after. With just one game a week coming up, injuries should ease up a bit, but you never know with football.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News