Liverpool given green light for Arne Slot to resurrect £20m transfer in January

Bologna’s Sam Beukema has hinted at a potential move to Liverpool, expressing his ambition to play in the Premier League. The 25-year-old Dutch defender, who was nearly signed by Arne Slot during his time at Feyenoord, has already experienced playing at Anfield.

Beukema played for 62 minutes in this month’s Champions League match against Liverpool, marking his third encounter with a team managed by Slot. Prior to Bologna’s visit, the Reds’ boss confessed that he had attempted to sign Beukema in 2021.

“I wanted to sign him. He had had a very good season at Go Ahead Eagles and we were looking for a central defender,” Slot revealed. “We saw a lot of potential in him.”

Referring to Feyenoord’s 2023 Eredivisie title win, Slot joked: “I think he chose the wrong club, because Feyenoord did a lot better than AZ [Alkmaar]! However, he eventually made a great move to Bologna, where he is also performing well. Beukema is a very good player.”

The Dutchman is a key figure for Bologna and contributed significantly to the club’s fifth-place finish in Serie A last season, their best position in nine years. Since then, Beukema has seen several of his team-mates make the switch to the Premier League.

Joshua Zirkzee moved to Manchester United while Riccardo Calafiori is now a regular feature at Arsenal. It appears that Beukema is keen to follow in their footsteps.

“I also have ambitions and hope one day to be able to play maybe in the Premier League or another big club,” he shared with Corriere dello Sport. “I was a fan of West Ham.”

“I once visited Upton Park with my father and I was really impressed, because the atmosphere was similar to that of Feyenoord or Go Ahead Eagles. But there are so many fantastic teams in England, so if another great club like Liverpool came along I would be happy to go there one day.”

Liverpool’s defensive lineup might see some strategic enhancements next season, particularly at centre-back. Fans are buoyed by the possibility of Virgil van Dijk committing his future to the club as he enters into contract discussions, with his current deal set to expire next summer.

In contrast, Joe Gomez’s situation remains uncertain, with the player only having seen 10 minutes of Premier League action this term and securing a mere four appearances overall.

Previously, he was at the centre of speculation regarding a big-money move to Newcastle, which reportedly included a massive £40million offer for his services within a package deal for Anthony Gordon totalling £75million, though the talks ultimately did not materialise.