Santi Aouna – The Empire of The Kop

‘Agreement on personal terms’: Santi Aouna expects move to be a formality – Rival watch

Wash N'Gog — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:14:57 +0000

You wouldn’t think that Manchester City were being investigated for 115 potential breaches of Financial Fair Play, would you?

Mind, the Sky Blues’ accounts suggest they’re making more money from commercial deals than Real Madrid and Liverpool, so what do we know?

Pep Guardiola’s men have now reportedly followed up the signing of Cavan Sullivan with a move for Lucas Paqueta. Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna reports on X (formerly Twitter) that the incumbent champions have ‘an agreement on personal terms’ with the clubs expected to enter negotiations in the summer.

EXCL: #PL |

Manchester City have an agreement on personal terms (contract duration, salary) with Lucas Paquetá on long term contract

No negotiations or talks taking place between West Ham and Manchester City but the player's agents expect clubs to negotiate a… pic.twitter.com/lxupqcgXbK

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) April 8, 2024

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

Who are Liverpool interested in?

Jacque Talbot of Football Transfers reported on our interest in Leeds United wide man Crysencio Summerville.

The Dutchman’s potential move to Anfield, however, may be directly tied to the futures of Luis Diaz and Mo Salah.

Our interest in Ruben Amorim’s centre-halves at Sporting Lisbon, Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande, has been long-documented. We’ll be particularly intrigued to see if one of the pairing moves over with the Portuguese head coach, should he take up a role with Liverpool in the summer.

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Liverpool could soon clinch agreement as transfer insider lifts lid on agent talks

Farrell Keeling — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 11:31:12 +0000

Liverpool appear to be close to clinching an agreement with Ruben Amorim according to one reporter’s claim.

Santi Aouna tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Merseysiders continue to engage in talks with the Portuguese head coach’s entourage.

The 39-year-old is allegedly understood to already be ‘prepared to join’ the club this summer.

🟢 #LigaPortugal |

Talks continue between Raul Costa, the agent of Ruben Amorim, and Liverpool

Ruben Amorim is prepared to join Liverpool. The Reds are leading the race to sign the Portuguese Coach

Amorim is now focus to win all the trophies with Sporting… pic.twitter.com/BoVWXf6Dq5

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) April 5, 2024

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

What is the Portuguese press saying about Amorim?

Pedro Sepulveda has already confirmed that Liverpool are ‘pushing to close the deal’ ahead of the end of the season.

This follows comments from the manager himself refusing to offer a guarantee that his future will belong to Sporting Lisbon.

The Primeira Liga outfit could move one step closer to the league title should they defeat Benfica at home this evening.

With another potential title in the bag come the summer, one has to wonder what is left for Amorim to accomplish in Portugal.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

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Transfer news journo says Liverpool now tailing Man Utd target they’ve yet to bid for

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 15:01:53 +0000

Liverpool are now understood to have ‘reactivated their pursuit’ of Ryan Gravenberch this summer.

This comes courtesy of an X update from Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, with the reporter claiming that talks are currently taking place with the 21-year-old’s camp.

EXCL: #Bundesliga |

◉ Liverpool have reactivated their pursuit of Ryan Gravenberch this week. The player is open to a move to England. Talks ongoing with his entourage.

◉ The Bayern midfielder is still on Manchester United's list, although no offer has yet been made.… pic.twitter.com/HWkKguSyKO

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) August 16, 2023

This comes amid a fresh move for Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure following failed attempts to first land Moises Caicedo and then Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.

Being a player Jurgen Klopp is said to hugely admire, not to mention possessing vast amounts of potential that have yet to be realised at Bayern Munich, the conditions are arguably ripe for us to swoop in and potentially transform the Dutchman’s career.

Gravenberch has previously admitted a preference to stay put and prove his worth in Bavaria, though with no minutes accumulated in the Super Cup defeat to RB Leizpig and Thomas Tuchel’s men showing a keen interest in further expanding their midfield department, one must question exactly how much game-time he’ll be getting in Germany.

Another switch to a completely different league, of course, will undoubtedly pose its own challenges, and the situation has evolved since the start of the window prior to our acquisition of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

That said, it seems as if the midfielder would have an actual clean slate to work from under Jurgen Klopp were he to take another chance on his career.

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PSG ‘ahead of the competition’ in race for Liverpool-linked midfielder – report

Peter Kenny Jones — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:27:41 +0000

Liverpool supporters are still riding the wave of joy that came with the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai but it appears we may soon lose out on another target, with PSG taking the driving seat in the deal.

Taking to his Twitter account, Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna reported: ‘Paris has made progress in recent hours on the signing of Gabriel Veiga. Paris wants to close the file quickly and thus get ahead of the competition.

‘Paris would like, ideally, to make him pass his medical examination at the end of the week’.

This would mean that the young Spaniard would no longer be heading to Anfield this summer and so our pursuit of other names like Khephren Thuram, Romeo Lavia and Manu Kone seem more realistic.

With the attacking prowess of Alexis Mac Allister and our latest Hungarian arrival, it seems unlikely we would need another player who is a goal threat from the middle of the pitch and so maybe this decision to back out of a deal makes sense.

Now that Rafa Benitez is the 21-year-old’s manager, some had hoped he could help us in negotiations but if it’s Jurgen Klopp who has pulled out of the move – then we can’t attribute too much blame to the Istanbul hero.

With time ticking to the start of pre-season training, it seems our shopping list is being narrowed down swiftly.

You can view the Veiga update via @Santi_J_FM on Twitter:

EXCL : #Ligue1 |

◉ Paris a avancé ces dernières heures sur la signature de Gabriel Veiga. Paris veut boucler le dossier rapidement et ainsi devancer la concurrence.

◉ Paris aimerait, dans l'idéal, lui faire passer sa visite médicale en fin de semaine. pic.twitter.com/dnxibpMFfZ

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) July 3, 2023

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Lavia OR Thuram next? Why Newcastle DIDN’T come in for Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s difficult signing, and much more!

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Liverpool ‘expressed an interest’ in Bundesliga midfielder; United could fight them for transfer

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:22:47 +0000

Ryan Gravenberch could be one of several new faces to grace the AXA training centre next term, provided that Liverpool can beat out competition from Arsenal and Manchester United in the Bayern Munich star.

All three clubs have reportedly ‘expressed an interest’ in the Dutchman ahead of the end of the campaign.

This update comes courtesy of a tweet from Foot Mercato reporter Santi Aouna (which can be directly found here), with the Merseysiders understood to be highly keen on a midfield revamp this summer.

Liverpool, Arsenal et Manchester United ont tous manifesté un intérêt pour Ryan Gravenberch. Erik ten Hag et le milieu du Bayern seraient heureux à l'idée de travailler de nouveau ensemble . https://t.co/NPcOvJkkH5 pic.twitter.com/oqqGp8UJj6

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) April 24, 2023

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Whilst the powers that be at the Allianz Arena are understandably keen to keep hold of the highly-rated midfielder, it’s difficult to see how the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Co. will talk him into an extended stay in Germany whilst minutes remain in short supply.

Gravenberch has only registered just over 700 minutes across all competitions for the Bundesliga holders, with promises of increased minutes next term surely impossible to make given that Konrad Laimer is also set to join the ranks next term.

By comparison, Jurgen Klopp will be able to point to the likely exits of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – not to mention the declining powers of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson – as proof of the club’s ability to fulfil a key need.

Whether that proves sufficient enough in light of Erik ten Hag’s supposed interest in the 20-year-old remains to be seen and we’ll surely be wary of the fact that the player has already had experience under his compatriot’s tutelage.

There’s the reality to consider that the Red Devils will also have Champions League football to offer any potential new signings, provided some late implosion fails to arise in the latter end of the season.

We will nonetheless take hope from the fact that, judging by BILD reporter Christian Falk’s words on the matter, there is some excitement on the midfielder’s part when it comes to the prospect of an Anfield switch.

“I talked with Ryan after the match with Manchester City about his interest and he didn’t want to comment on it,” the German exclusively informed CaughtOffside.

“But he had a big smile on his face, so it was clear that the Reds’ interest is an honour for him.

“He didn’t want to comment, of course, because he has a contract and he’s aware of Hasan Salihamidžić’s plan to keep him.”

Ultimately, should we fail to break back into the top four come the summer, this will have been the first time since the 2015/16 season in which Liverpool aren’t playing top European football.

It’s difficult to say whether Gravenberch will look at the long-term picture when it comes to assessing a move to Manchester or Merseysider, though we’d like to think the club remains a very attractive option still with a world-class coach, exciting young players and an expanded stadium.

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Mo Salah’s agent breaks silence over Liverpool ace’s future amid exit talk

Farrell Keeling — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 15:18:47 +0000

Mo Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, has now firmly put to bed reports of his client’s potential exit this summer with his latest tweet.

The Colombian was responding to Santi Aouna’s report for Foot Mercato, which had claimed the Egyptian was open to the possibility of a move away from Liverpool.

Where did you get this from if not even Mohamed and I discussed this? Please tell us. https://t.co/1I1RUtGJej

— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) March 18, 2023

The former Roma hitman had signed a new contract extending his stay with the Merseysiders until 2025 after a protracted saga over his terms.

Though our struggles this term will hardly have been considered enjoyable by the squad at large, the idea that the 30-year-old was prepared to up sticks and move on to a new challenge after one comparatively poor season was questionable.

Whilst we’re still in possession of one of the leading managers in world football, anything is theoretically possible – one only need cast their mind back to 2015 and take a look at the squad the German inherited to remind themselves exactly what we’re capable of achieving with the affable German at the helm.

At the very least we appear to have been given some positive news about where Salah’s head’s at and it looks like he remains just as committed to the cause as ever.

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Sofyan Amrabat has decided on his next club amid Liverpool links – Santi Aouna

Farrell Keeling — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 21:21:22 +0000

The future of Sofyan Amrabat has become less shrouded with the player now reportedly having set his heart on a move to Atletico Madrid.

This update comes courtesy of Foot Mercato‘s Santi Aouna and Hanif Ben Berkane despite prior links to Liverpool Football Club amid the Reds’ ongoing search for midfield reinforcements

The Merseysiders have allegedly since engaged in talks with Gladbach’s Kouadio ‘Manu’ Kone and Nice’s Khephren Thuram, which may yet bear fruit before the January window draws to a close.

Jude Bellingham remains Liverpool’s top target but the Reds will have to wait until the summer to try and sign him – (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

It’s understood that Fiorentina have been obstructive with their price-tag, despite the 26-year-old’s current contract being set to expire next year, which may go some way to explaining why exactly we haven’t evolved our prior reported interest in the Moroccan international.

At his current age, too, we have to consider the likelihood that Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team at Anfield will be keeping their eyes peeled for younger options capable of safeguarding a midfield currently in desperate need of fresh legs.

Whilst there’s every possibility that the German tactician can find a solution to get the best out of the current men available in the middle of the park, there’s no question that an injection of energy, courtesy of the transfer market, could be the difference between a top four spot and Europa League mediocrity.

Exclusive: Every word of our Sofyan Amrabat interview with Аnas Bakhkhar – will the Moroccan sign for the Reds?

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Sofyan Amrabat ‘prefers Liverpool’ as ‘new discussions planned’ – Santi Aouna

Peter Kenny Jones — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:41:12 +0000

Liverpool supporters were almost entirely unaware of Sofyan Amrabat when the World Cup began but now that the tournament has come to a close, he’s being touted as a potential transfer target and it appears a second meeting is scheduled to take place.

As reported by Santi Aouna: ‘Klopp wants him and has already met the player’s agent. New discussions planned with the Reds. Interest from Tottenham and Atlético Madrid. Amrabat prefers Liverpool. Fiorentina want ~40M€’.

This corroborates with the journalist’s colleague at Foot Mercato, Anas Bakhkhar, who exclusively revealed to Empire of the Kop that a second meeting was in place with the Moroccan after the tournament in Qatar came to a close.

The 26-year-old has impressed so many with his performances for the African nation that surprised the world with their relative success; attention will now turn to Fiorentina who have a decision on whether to cash in.

With a fee of up to €40 million expected for the midfielder, we may be able to even secure this move in January and catch the player whilst he’s on the crest of a wave.

Our midfield options aren’t too depleted at the moment and it seems that only Arthur Melo is injured, so we may not have to go and break the bank to bolster our options.

However, there will be a clamour from some fans that we need to add an option for the second-half of this lengthy campaign.

You can view the update on Amrabat via @Santi_J_FM on Twitter:

Info: Sofyan Amrabat

Klopp le veut et a déjà rencontré l'agent du joueur.
Nouvelles discussions prévues avec les Reds
Intérêt de Tottenham et l'Atlético Madrid
Amrabat préfère Liverpool
La Fiorentina veut ~40M€

Avec @HanifBerkane https://t.co/SwQdWEKRIz

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) December 18, 2022

Exclusive: Every word of our Sofyan Amrabat interview with Аnas Bakhkhar – will the Moroccan sign for the Reds?

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Liverpool fans given hope in Tchouameni pursuit after Santi Aouna’s two-word response to claim that Real Madrid have signed him

Farrell Keeling — Mon, 30 May 2022 14:51:03 +0000

Santi Aouna rejected claims that Real Madrid have officially completed the signing of Aurelien Tchouameni.

The update from the journalist on Twitter will provide some slim hope to Liverpool fans that perhaps a deal can still yet be done between Monaco and the Reds with regard to their highly-rated 22-year-old.

Not yet

— Santi Aouna (@Santi_J_FM) May 30, 2022

The Merseysiders are said to be also tracking PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare as a potential alternative to the Frenchman.

Given the numbers being touted around Tchouameni, one has to imagine that the Eredivise star is looking increasingly more viable an option as the days go by.

This, on top of reports suggesting that the former is practically, for all intents and purposes, a done deal for Real Madrid ahead of the summer window, means that we’re likely to move in a different direction when it comes to potential incomings.

With Fabio Carvalho set to support the forward line next term (though he is more than capable of filing out in the middle of the park), a midfield addition in the next window has to be considered of the utmost priority.

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Exclusive: 22-year-old ‘very interested in Liverpool’ – Reds’ agent contact confirmed by journalist who broke news on ‘complete player’

Farrell Keeling — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:34:32 +0000

Liverpool’s contact with Aurelien Tchouameni’s agent has been confirmed with the player ‘very interested’ in the club, the Empire of the Kop can exclusively reveal.

The Frenchman has been heavily linked with a switch to the red half of Merseyside in recent weeks, and Jurgen Klopp is said to be a massive fan of the 22-year-old.

“For the moment, there is just some contact with his agent. Monaco knows it too. The player is very interested in Liverpool,” Santi Aouna shared.

“If Aurelien Tchouameni has managed to become regular in his performances, it is also because over time he has settled into a role that suits him better.

“Positioned higher on the pitch, his athletic and technical abilities allow him to bring a real plus offensively without neglecting defensive tasks. He is mature in and off the pitch. Complete player.”

Reports of the Reds’ interest in the midfielder have also been backed up by the Daily Mail’s Dominic King, who noted that Real Madrid remain the favourites to secure his signature come the end of the season.

If our superb recruitment team (set to follow the lead of Michael Edwards’ understudy, Julian Ward, from the summer onwards) can manage to negotiate the asking price close to the £42m figure previously touted, we certainly wouldn’t be quick to rule us out of the race.

Able to offer something beyond his defensive duties as a holding midfielder too, Tchouameni comes across as a versatile midfield option with more strings to his bow than perhaps many first assumed.

It would be music to Klopp and the coaching staff’s ears, with us very much valuing midfield options that can be moulded to fulfill various functions and tactical demands.

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