One reported Liverpool transfer target is believed to have vexed his current employers over comments he made recently.
Towards the end of March, Portuguese news outlet Record claimed (via Sport Witness) that the Reds had made contact with representatives of Sporting Lisbon defender Jeremiah St Juste, who told Voetbal Zone in recent days that he’d received calls from unnamed Premier League clubs.
According to O Jogo (via Sport Witness), that interview has annoyed the hierarchy at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, who deem it a show of ‘ingratitude’ from the centre-back less than a year after he joined them from Mainz.
The 26-year-old is renowned for his searing pace, with Voetbal Zone noting how he broke his own sprint record by clocking a speed of 37.1kph during his team’s Europa League tie against Arsenal last month, having also briefly held a Bundesliga season high for that attribute back in 2019/20.
Unfortunately, St Juste also has a reputation as a somewhat injury-prone player, with a knock he picked up in last Thursday’s defeat to Juventus the fourth separate issue he’s suffered this season alone (Transfermarkt).
Liverpool have already seen each of their current centre-back options sidelined at various intervals this term (Transfermarkt), so if they’re considering strengthening their ranks in that regard during the summer, they ought to instead look at more reliable defenders in terms of availability.
His public admission about interest from Premier League clubs may also be a red flag, particularly when it came only a few months after signing for Sporting Lisbon, so the Reds need to think carefully as to whether the Dutchman is the most ideal player to be targeting for Jurgen Klopp’s squad.