- 8 hours ago
Liverpool 'handed rare' Olmo opportunity
Liverpool could be handed a free run at Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo next year, according to reports.
It's thought that Barcelona could soon lose their summer signing Dani Olmo on a free. The Euro 2024 winner made the protracted move from RB Leipzig to the Camp Nou during the last transfer window.
The Mirror reported Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on signing the midfielder. Olmo has been a central figure in Hansi Flick's side, playing 13 matches with six goals and one assist so far.
READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals
Barcelona are battling financial troubles - they had initially accepted an initial six-month registration period but if he is unable to be registered for the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, there is reportedly a clause in the player's contract to allow him to leave the Spanish club for free next month.
The Liverpool Echo have stated that: "a player of such calibre could offer a much-needed boost heading deeper into the Premier League title race, then in the long-term his so-called prime years as a footballer are still to come.
"The Reds have been openly chasing a midfielder, though more a defensive one. That was fellow Euro 2024 winner Martin Zubimendi until he flat-out rejected the approach during the summer window"
In the summer, after missing out on top target Nico Williams, Barcelona splashed as much as €62 million on RB Leipzig star Olmo off the back of his stunning Euro 2024 performances.
It was a massive outlay for a club that has had to pinch pennies recently and it unsurprisingly required massive squad manoeuvering to be able to register all the necessary players with La Liga.
Barcelona won't sign anyone in January
But there could be a sticking point for Liverpool. Barcelona made use of Article 77 of La Liga's rules, which allows them to go over their spending cap by a certain percentage in the event of an injury. The club had used the same strategy earlier in the summer when they registered Inigo Martinez in place of the injured Ronald Araujo.
The problem is that, as mentioned, it is merely a temporary registration and Barcelona will have to find new ways to enlist Olmo again in January. The most likely solution, of course, is to sell players.
According to Sport, Barcelona have informed Flick that no players will be signed and that the focus will instead be on registering players like Olmo and Pau Victor.