Liverpool transfer news: £67m Alisson signs on
Brazil keeper will be Reds’ final summer signing despite Oxlade-Chamberlain blow
Alisson to Anfield is on
Brazil’s goalkeeper Alisson is expected to arrive in Liverpool today to undergo a medical and complete a £67m move from Roma.
The Reds initially tabled a £62m bid for the Brazilian stopper, £4m less than Roma’s asking price, and when rumours emerged on Tuesday suggesting Chelsea were ready to nip in ahead of their Merseyside rivals, Liverpool “moved quickly” to ensure they got their man.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Alisson, who had been on holiday in Sardinia after Brazil’s World Cup campaign, has cut short his R&R and on Wednesday evening he boarded a flight from Ciampino Airport in Rome to Manchester. According to Metro, he “will travel from there via a private car to Liverpool”.
Asked if he had anything to say about his move to England, the 25-year-old keeper said: “I want to say thanks to Roma fans. Now it’s time for a new adventure.”
The Liverpool Echo claims that Alisson has agreed personal terms with the club and the deal will see him sign a five-year contract, although he won’t be part of the Reds’ pre-season tour to the US as he will be given time off to recover from his exertions at the World Cup. He is, however, expected to make his bow for the Champions League finalists in a friendly against Napoli on 4 August.
Roma teammate Diego Perotti told Sky Sport Italia that he was sorry to see Alisson leave. “He was a really important goalkeeper for us and his saves rescued a lot of points and games last season, but that is football,” he said. “He’s a great guy, was a strong part of the locker room dynamic and we’re sorry to see him go, but life is like that.”
No more business for Liverpool
The signing of Alisson is likely to be the last bit of business for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp this summer, reports the Daily Mirror, even though Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been ruled out for the whole of next season with a knee injury.
“Alisson is expected to be Jurgen Klopp’s final piece in the jigsaw as a deal for Lyon forward Nabil Fekir is now highly unlikely,” says the paper.
The manager is said to be “delighted” with the club’s summer signings, and “Klopp is also encouraged by the fact that the Reds have avoided a summer of uncertainty over any of their major stars”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A Man on the Inside: Netflix comedy leaves you with a 'warm fuzzy feeling'
The Week Recommends Charming series has a 'tenderness' that will 'sneak up' on you
By The Week UK Published
-
Bread & Roses: an 'extraordinarily courageous' documentary
The Week Recommends Sahra Mani's 'powerful' film examines the lives of three Afghan women under the Taliban
By The Week UK Published
-
V13: a 'marvelous and terrifying' account of the Bataclan terror trials
The Week Recommends Emmanuel Carrère's work is 'absolutely gripping'
By The Week UK Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?
Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
By The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after ‘extraordinary’ rant at players
feature After another year without a trophy, Spurs are now searching for a new manager
By The Week Staff Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City’s financial charges: what next for the Premier League champions?
feature The club is alleged to have breached financial rules around 100 times over a nine-year period
By Mike Starling Published