It looks like Liverpool’s pursuit of Barcelona’s Aleix Vidal will be over before it’s even begun, with Los Cules putting a huge price-tag on his head following our reported approach in the Express.
The Spanish champions are demanding we pay the Chilean’s £45m release clause, which for a right-back, is ridiculously excessive and not something Liverpool will be or should be prepared to do.
Barca signed Vidal last summer for £17m from Sevilla, but were unable to field him until January due to their transfer ban. Since the turn of the calendar year, he’s mostly had to play backup to the still excellent Dani Alves, and we thought about discovering if he was available.
We already have Nathaniel Clyne at right-back, when it’s left-back that needs fixing – but if a right-back of Vidal’s calibre signed – Clyne could switch to other flank, which he did a number of times last season to good effect.
Alves is 33 though, and Barca clearly want to retain Vidal and get him ready to be the eventual replacement for the Brazilian legend, arguably the best fullback of the modern era.