Liverpool 'close in' on £50m signing of Premier League star wanted by Man Utd

Arne Slot is closing in on his first signing of 2025 and will deal a huge blow to Ruben Amorim at Manchester United if reports are to be believed.

Liverpool are cruising to the Premier League title in Slot’s first season since replacing Jurgen Klopp and have the chance to add another trophy to the cabinet with a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on Sunday.

Despite their success on the field, headlines have been dominated by what looks set to be a summer of overhaul at Anfield with many ageing stars needing to be replaced and the futures of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold still up in the air.

Talks are believed to be taking place with all three players but there has been no breakthrough as yet with Alexander-Arnold being strongly courted by Real Madrid.

After falling short in the Champions League, being knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties, Liverpool are expected to add to the options in the summer and reports in Brazil suggest headway has already been made with a Premier League star wanted by Manchester United.

With Ryan Gravenberch playing more minutes than any other midfielder in Slot’s squad, Wolves star Joao Gomes has been identified as the perfect addition in the engine room with Liverpool leading the race to sign the £50m-rated Brazilian according to Gazete do Urubu.

The Merseyside club could face competition from United to seal the deal but Ruben Amorim might need to focus on departures to free up funds for his summer business.

Gomes’ former club Flamengo are believed to retain a hefty sell-on clause from the deal that saw the 24-year-old move to the Premier League in January 2023.

Joao Gomes of Wolves (Getty)

Slot’s first window at the club was a quiet one with only Federico Chiesa arriving at the club for the 2024/25 season as well as an agreement to sign Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili at the end of the current campaign.

The Liverpool manager has already admitted work is being done on their summer recruits to keep the club competitive at the top.

He told the BBC in January: “Liverpool should always be competing for a league title, we should always be competing for the Champions League. I’m hoping I will be able to keep the club at that level.

“I know people sometimes question this because they haven’t seen us doing a lot in the transfer market in the summer and now in the winter as well. There’s a reason for that – because we’re happy with the squad.

“But I do know we’re definitely working on strengthening in the summer.”