Full agreement’ – Liverpool to welcome two new additions imminently as Jurgen Klopp set to complete summer squad

Full agreement’ – Liverpool to welcome two new additions imminently as Jurgen Klopp set to complete summer squad

The Reds have been enjoying their pre-season training camp in Germany, where they’ll play their first friendly of the summer against Karlsruhe on Wednesday evening

Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott will report for duty in the coming days fresh from clinching the European under-21 title with England, and they’ll be linking up with the squad as key first-team players, no longer merely ‘kids’ on the fringes of things.

Jones was mightily impressive for Lee Carsley’s Young Lions in Georgia and Romania, carrying on his fine form from the back end of last season and often dictating play from a deeper lying midfield position.

He was also awarded the winning goal in the final, even if there was more than a touch of fortune to it.

Elliott wasn’t as noticeable as his club teammate, and indeed struggled to break in to Carsley’s first XI, but he did score a fine goal in a group stage win over Germany.

The pair swell the numbers in Liverpool’s summer training camp from 32 to 34, which is the maximum number of ‘senior’ players that Jurgen Klopp could call upon right now, with so many of his stars having had a decent rest this summer.

A lot of the players at the camp aren’t senior of course, with at least 10 set to return to the club’s junior ranks following the end of both this tour and a trip to Singapore, but Jones and Elliott are now right amongst the core of first-team stars.

One of the reasons for that is of course just who isn’t in Germany, with Fabinho staying at home on Merseyside to tie up a £40million deal with Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, where he’s teaming up with Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and the former Celtic man Jota, all under the guidance of former Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Brazilian isn’t as old as some of his Liverpool midfield colleagues, but time hasn’t been as kind to his legs as it seemingly has to theirs.

Having built much of his team’s success on the efforts of Fabinho, Jurgen Klopp will now be happy to let him go at that price.

It is that crucial element of price which is holding up Jordan Henderson’s own potential move to Saudi Arabia, with Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq not flush with Public Investment Fund money unlike other clubs in the country, including Al-Ittihad.

For those clubs, an initial upfront transfer fee is known to be a problem despite their ability to afford to pay vast wages. With Henderson still possessing two years left on his contract Liverpool are in no mood to let him go cheaply, and nor should they be.