It was all smiles in the Liverpool camp just six months ago, when Arne Slot – in his debut campaign at Anfield since leaving Feyenoord – comprehensively guided the Reds to their first Premier League title since the 2019-20 season, and only their second-ever league title in the Premier League era.
As if the league title wasn’t enough, Liverpool splashed almost £450 million (€512m/$595m) on transfers over the summer. They broke the British transfer record – twice – first by signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a move worth £116m (€132m/$153m), before pulling out all the stops to capture Alexander Isak’s signature from Newcastle United under controversial circumstances. The deadline day operation cost the Merseyside giants £125m (€142m/$165m). Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez were acquired to succeed one of the most lethal full-back pairings to have ever graced the English top-flight in Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid, and the gradually ageing Andy Robertson, respectively.
While the adaptation period of almost all summer signings wasn’t immediate, Slot’s troops conjured a five-game winning streak to begin the defence of their league crown. However, they have since fallen apart like a house of cards. The season began with a Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, but that only proved to be a minor blip as they won the next seven games on the trot across all competitions. What has unfolded in the past few months, though, has been absolutely shocking. Before Sunday’s 2-0 win over West Ham, Liverpool lost nine of their previous 12 games. The highs of finishing the summer with an all-timer transfer window quickly turned into the lowest of the lows, even calling into question whether Slot is good enough to steer the seemingly sinking ship of England‘s champions.
Amidst all the chaos at Anfield, CaughtOffside have been informed by sources that Liverpool are reportedly plotting an ambitious move to sign Real Madrid midfielder Camavinga. Per the report, Slot deems Camavinga to be an absolutely necessary signing to bolster the midfield. While Los Blancos are in no mood to entertain thoughts of a possible Camavinga departure, the club’s hierarchy has reportedly held talks over the Frenchman’s long-term future at the Bernabeu. Some even believe Camavinga, currently valued at €60 million (£52m/$70m), could free up funds for future transfers if he is cashed in on.
However, the reigning Premier League champions are likely to face stiff competition. Reportedly, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are the other Premier League heavyweights keeping tabs on Camavinga’s situation in the Spanish capital. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, too, are believed to be in the mix should a potential transfer race ignite.
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Camavinga has won everything there is to win at club level. Arriving from Rennes in 2021, the 23-year-old established himself as a key player under Carlo Ancelotti, playing a pivotal role in Madrid’s Champions League and La Liga double. He was once again instrumental when Madrid replicated the feat in the 2023-24 season.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the versatile midfielder. Persistent injuries have prevented Camavinga from truly taking off at Madrid, leaving many to wonder whether he’ll ever reach the heights he once seemed destined for. That being said, he is contracted to Madrid until June 30, 2029, and the club views him as a key player for both the present and the future, despite his fitness issues.
Head coach Xabi Alonso is also believed to be a huge admirer of Camavinga’s qualities. He has featured in 14 games across all competitions, clocking 563 minutes. He hasn’t received as many starts, being named in the starting XI just five times, but he seems to be a player who could become influential under Alonso. “I know him from watching him, from how he interprets the game. He has enormous potential, a lot of qualities, and there’s a place for him within the project. He’s eager, he’s willing,” Alonso said in September while describing Camavinga.
Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League clash will see them welcome newly-promoted Sunderland to Anfield, with Regis Le Bris’ side emerging as one of the season’s surprise packages. The Reds will also take on Brighton and Tottenham in the coming weeks – fixtures that could provide a real test of their mettle as they look to turn their season around in the second half of the campaign.
