Liverpool have learned how much it’d cost them if they’re to sign a midfielder who’s been on FSG’s radar for the past several months.
It was in January of last year that rumours first surfaced of the Reds’ interest in Atalanta’s Ederson, and the 25-year-old was the subject of scouting missions from Merseyside in the early weeks of this season at a few of the Nerazzurri’s Champions League games.
Of course, LFC would’ve already seen him up close when he was part of Gian Piero Gasperini’s side which triumphed 3-0 at Anfield last April en route to winning the Europa League the following month.
Liverpool discover Ederson asking price
According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool continue to hold an interest in the Brazil international, who’s also on Manchester United’s wish list.
Both clubs are understood to have reached out in recent weeks to gather information on the player’s situation as they seek to bolster their midfield options, and Atalanta have now responded with a valuation for him.
If the Reds are to sign Ederson, he’s set to cost a minimum of €60m (£50.3m), a 50% increase on the figures which were quoted in reports of LFC’s initial interest 14 months ago.
Do Liverpool really need to spend £50m on Ederson?
Given that they’ve maintained an interest in him over a prolonged period of time, it seems clear that Liverpool’s recruitment team see something in the 25-year-old which has them convinced that he’d be an ideal addition to Arne Slot’s squad.
When looking at his underlying performance metrics on FBref, there’s only one category for which he places among the top 25% of midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year, ranking in the 82nd percentile for progressive passes per 90 minutes with 6.59.
Considering the strength of the midfield options already at Anfield, Ederson doesn’t stand out as a player who’d be drastically better than Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai et al.
He certainly doesn’t seem like somebody who’d justify a £50m+ outlay in the summer when other parts of the squad appear to be of far greater priority, such as centre-back and one (maybe both) full-back slots, as well as a forward or two depending on whether or not Mo Salah signs a new contract.
Nonetheless, Liverpool’s recruitment in recent years has been far more hit than miss, and if Slot does feel that the Atalanta player would be a perfect fit at Anfield, we wouldn’t question the head coach’s judgement!
