Felix Nmecha links offer a clue to Liverpool’s summer plans

Liverpool’s interest in Felix Nmecha would point to a quieter kind of squad planning: adding depth in midfield even as the club concentrates on replacing departing players. The reports are preliminary, and Dortmund have no release clause to limit their asking price this summer. That makes the link worth watching, but not evidence of a deal being close.

A World Cup hasn’t slowed the transfer market. Last week, Liverpool triggered Spain international winger Victor Munoz’s £34.5 million release clause at La Liga side Osasuna.

Munoz is the first signing for new head coach Andoni Iraola, with more work ahead. Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate have said their goodbyes. Robertson and Konate are moving to Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, respectively.

Depth is the larger question

The already-agreed £60 million arrival of Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes will partly cover Konate’s departure. Liverpool are also weighing attacking options, with RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande their leading target. Cody Gakpo transfer exposes Liverpool problem Andoni Iraola cannot afford to happen; Yan Diomande told not to make Liverpool transfer – ‘take Florian Wirtz’.

Filling those vacancies is only part of the job. Liverpool’s squad has looked short of depth compared with its main rivals over the past two seasons, leaving sporting director Richard Hughes and his recruitment team with a broader rebuild to consider. Midfield, though, does not appear to be an area Liverpool are actively reshaping—at least for now.

Reports from Germany on Tuesday said Liverpool were among several clubs to have enquired about Nmecha, the 25-year-old Germany international at Borussia Dortmund. The reported release clause is €80 million (£69 million) in summer 2027, falling to €70 million (£60 million) the year after. There is no clause this summer, so Dortmund can set their own price. That’s a significant constraint: an enquiry may signal interest, but any move would depend on a negotiated fee.

Nmecha fits Liverpool’s rules, but midfield business must wait

Lukas Nmecha’s Manchester City background could make him especially useful to Liverpool: he made three senior appearances for City before joining Wolfsburg, qualifying as a homegrown player. That matters for a squad short of senior players who meet the requirement. But a useful profile doesn’t mean a transfer is imminent. Liverpool are assessing targets for both the near and longer term, and reports of a concrete move for Nmecha appear premature. The immediate constraint is numbers. Liverpool already have Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo in central midfield, with Trey Nyoni and Stefan Bajcetic also in the picture. Their prospects differ sharply. Gravenberch signed a long-term contract earlier this year, while Szoboszlai has been offered one. Nyoni, still 18, and Bajcetic, returning after several injury-hit years, could go out on loan. The uncertainty sits with the other three. Jones has 12 months left on his contract, and Liverpool are open to selling him. Inter Milan have yet to meet the club’s asking price of more than £30 million, while Aston Villa are also monitoring him. Endo is out of contract next season and, at 33, is nearing the end of his career. Mac Allister, meanwhile, has attracted Real Madrid’s interest for some time. He has two years left on his deal, but Liverpool haven’t offered him a new one. Here’s the thing: Liverpool may need to move a midfielder before they can sensibly add one. If Jones leaves, that could set other decisions in motion. Until a departure opens space in the squad, a move for Nmecha looks like a possibility under consideration, not a deal gathering pace.