Liverpool have expressed interest in signing Romanian right-back Andrei Ratiu from Rayo Vallecano this summer, according to reports via TEAMtalk.
Despite the significant investment made last summer, recurring injuries to several key first-team players have frequently forced Arne Slot to field available squad members in unfamiliar positions.
The right-back position has been especially affected since Conor Bradley suffered a season-ending injury in January, while Jeremie Frimpong has already spent 117 days on the sidelines since joining Liverpool, missing 25 matches as a result.
Consequently, the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and even Wataru Endo have all been called upon to operate at right-back whenever the club’s specialist options have been unavailable.
The Reds have now begun assessing dependable natural fullbacks this summer and have previously been offered the chance to sign Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries, who has since signed for Real Madrid.
It appears Liverpool have identified another option, as TEAMtalk cite Anfield Index as reporting that Andoni Iraola’s side have expressed interest in signing Vallecano’s Ratiu this summer.
The Merseyside club are also set to trigger the 28-year-old’s £21m release clause and are even more optimistic of agreeing a cut-price deal to sign the fullback this summer, according to the report.
However, the Reds face stern competition from Barcelona, as per the report, which claims the Spanish champions are also ‘keen’ on signing the Romanian international this summer.
Ratiu to Liverpool
Liverpool have already moved swiftly to strengthen their squad, completing a quick deal for Victor Muñoz from Osasuna and beating Newcastle United to the winger.
The Spaniard joins Jeremy Jacquet among the club’s summer arrivals, but their recruitment drive is far from over. The Reds are also preparing to launch a second bid after seeing their initial £86m offer for Yan Diomande rejected by RB Leipzig.
Ratiu is now being pursued as a potential option to bolster their right-back position, which has been heavily plagued by injury.
The Romanian has enjoyed a rapid rise over the past year and has become a regular starter for Vallecano.
His game extends well beyond the responsibilities of a conventional fullback. He frequently makes intelligent forward runs and is particularly effective when drifting into central areas to exploit space.
Signing a player of his quality for less than £21m would be a shrewd piece of business, but first they will have to ward off competition from Barcelona.
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