Liverpool made ‘serious attempts’ to sign Galatasaray right-back Roland Sallai in the recently concluded winter transfer window, according to Turkish outlet A Spor.
Conor Bradley suffered a season-ending injury in the clash against Arsenal, while Jeremie Frimpong sustained what Arne Slot described as a muscle injury in the UEFA Champions League group stage clash against Qarabag.
This has led to Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Curtis Jones alternating at right-back, with Jones most recently starting and scoring in the FA Cup fourth round against Brighton & Hove Albion.
As a result, the Reds were linked with several right-back options by Football Talk, citing reputable sources, reporting the club’s interest in Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries and Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida.
However, they pulled the plug on Gertruida’s deal and ended up signing only Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who is set to arrive next season.
It appears Arne Slot’s side explored more options before deadline day, as Turkish outlet A Spor reports that the Premier League defending champions made ‘serious attempts’ to sign Galatasaray’s right back Sallai.
However, a move did not materialise as the 28-year-old, who also drew interest from Sunderland, remained with the Turkish giants, according to the report.
‘Serious attempts’
Should Liverpool decide to rekindle their interest in the summer, they’ll need to act swiftly as the report claims that West London outfit Brentford are preparing a formal offer for the transfer of the Hungarian right back, who is valued at a meagre £8m by Galatasaray.
The Hungarian international moved to Galatasaray from SC Freiburg in September 2024 and has since become a regular fixture in Istanbul.
Primarily a right-back, he is valued for his versatility, capable of operating on the left flank or in more advanced wide roles. Since arriving in Turkey, he has registered seven goals and seven assists in 64 appearances. On the international stage, he has earned 64 senior caps for Hungary, scoring 15 goals.
Liverpool fans had a first-hand experience of the right-back’s qualities this season after he came off the bench to secure Galatasaray’s lead in the last 18 minutes as the Turkish champions recorded a memorable 1-0 win in the UEFA Champions League.
However, Frimpong and Bradley are expected to return to full fitness at the end of the season and won’t have any need to spend on another right back.
