Liverpool are reportedly preparing an offer to sign a promising new defender in January, and he’s already playing his football in the Premier League with Brentford.
How much have Liverpool spent in 2023?
Over the summer, FSG spent a total of £145m on their four new midfield signings in the form of Alexis Mac Allister (£35m), Dominik Szoboszlai (£60m), Wataru Endo (£16m) and Ryan Gravenberch (£34m), but whilst they bolstered their central ranks, there is another area that needs addressing in the new year.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the only natural right-back that Jurgen Klopp has available to him at Anfield and it’s become obvious that cover, alongside competition for places, is needed following the vice-captain's spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, and it appears that the boss has already set his sights on a possible candidate.
Back in April, Brentford’s Aaron Hickey had emerged as a target for Manchester City but a deal failed to come to fruition over the summer, though that will come as a boost to any other clubs hoping to secure his services, one of those being on Merseyside.
Despite Scotland’s international having another three years to run on his contract with Thomas Frank’s side, his performances so far this season have seemingly impressed FSG chiefs to the point where they are already considering an approach for the 21-year-old at the beginning of 2024.
Are Liverpool signing Aaron Hickey?
According to The Mirror, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are all “ready to make bids” for Hickey in January’s transfer window, whilst he’s also attracting interest from Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.
The Bees are expected to demand a fee in the region of £50m for their prized asset before they even consider “opening discussions” regarding a deal with one of his four potential suitors.
How much did Brentford pay for Aaron Hickey?
Hickey joined Brentford from Serie A side Bologna for a reported £18m and it’s clear to see that he’s proved his worth during his 33 appearances at the Community Stadium, so it comes as no surprise to learn that he is being pursued by Liverpool.
The Glasgow-born talent is currently averaging 2.2 tackles and 1.2 clearances per top-flight game, alongside recording a 90.9% pass success rate, via WhoScored, displaying how calm and composed he is in possession while doing his defensive duties with aplomb.
Frank’s two-footed ace, who has the versatility to play in five various positions across the field, has racked up nine involvements (six goals and three assists) since the start of his career, so loves to use his pace to burst down the flank and create chances for himself and his teammates in the final third.
Finally, Hickey, who has been dubbed a “conundrum” to play against by members of the media, shares the same agent, PLG, as Andrew Robertson and Alexander-Arnold, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could give the board a small advantage over their competitors should they go after a deal in January.
