Liverpool transfer news as wonderkid frozen out and Virgil van Dijk 'heir' scouted

Following a quiet summer with next to no spending under new boss Arne Slot, Liverpool fans could be about to get their wish in 2025.

The Reds spent money on just one player for the current season yet it's fair to say there has been no need for panic as they sit comfortably at the top of the Premier League. However, the money made and saved over the summer could now be used to aid a title push in the New Year.

That's because Liverpool continues to be linked with a host of players ahead of the upcoming transfer window, suggesting Slot could look to sanction one or two deals in order to further strengthen his side.

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That includes Chelsea starlet Josh Acheampong, who has been recently linked with a move to Anfield as a potential long-term successor to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, although he is also seen as a suitable short-term fix for the role.

However, in order to get him to commit his future to the club, the Blues have now reportedly frozen out the academy graduate from all first-team and Under-21 fixtures until he signs a new contract at Stamford Bridge.

A report from The Athletic claims that Chelsea has informed the highly-rated youngster that he won’t play for the club again until he puts pen-to-paper on fresh terms in west London, where his existing deal runs until 2026.

While Liverpool continues to monitor that situation with a keen eye, the Reds have also been making moves for other defenders elsewhere ahead of next year, with one such report claiming scouts were recently sent to watch a La Liga star in action.

That's according to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, which claims Liverpool had a representative present at Sevilla's game with Barcelona on Sunday as it continues to monitor Loic Bade's progression, having already reportedly identified the Frenchman as a potential successor to Virgil van Dijk in 2025.

Bade played the full 90 minutes and grabbed an assist in the 5-1 defeat in Catalonia, his eighth appearance of the season, with the report adding that Sevilla ‘would be content with much less’ than his $65million (£50m/€60m) release clause to sanction a sale to the Reds.