Liverpool transfer news as Alessandro Bastoni 'open' to move and another Real Madrid star linked

Liverpool transfer news as Inter Milan center-back Alessandro Bastoni is supposedly 'open' to a Premier League switch and another Real Madrid star is linked with Anfield

Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan during a Serie A game against Lecce.(Image: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Liverpool has two weeks left to make a move in the January transfer window, with Arne Slot looking light of options in a couple of different places as things stand.

At center-back, Liverpool is short of numbers. Out wide, even with Mohamed Salah coming back from AFCON, the Reds are lacking quality and depth having sold Luis Diaz in the summer.

Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today. Both players are potentially set to be on the move in 2026, but far more likely in the summer rather than in the next fortnight.

Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)

Vinicius Jr is growing tired of life at Real Madrid, even after Xabi Alonso was fired, and Premier League clubs including Liverpool are keeping an eye on the situation. That is according to TeamTalk.

Real Madrid fans booed Vinicius ahead of their game with Levante this weekend and the Spanish outlet AS says the Brazilian is 'distraught' at such a reaction, with Kylian Mbappe consoling him.

According to Marca, Real Madrid supporters see Vinicius as the player that got Alonso fired. They are therefore unhappy with him amid the team's underperformance.

(Image: Getty Images)

Vinicius is under contract until 2027 but the report says Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are all watching the situation with a view to potentially pouncing in the summer.

Talks over a renewal at the Bernabeu have stalled, though ESPN suggested this week that Alonso's exit could smooth the pathway for Vinicius to extend his contract. Earlier this week, Liverpool was linked with a swoop for Eduardo Camavinga too.

Liverpool.com says: Any club that tried to sign Vinicius would be getting a big talent, but clearly someone whose influence in the locker room can be detrimental. He isn't the only one at Real Madrid, but there is a big ego.

Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)

Inter Milan center-back Alessandro Bastoni would be open to moving to the Premier League, with Liverpool a possible option for the 26-year-old in the summer, according to TeamTalk.

Under contract until 2028, it is suggested that he could be available for a fee of around $93 million (£69 million). Liverpool could lose Ibrahima Konate for free and appear to have lost out in the race for Marc Guehi.

Waiting until the summer rather than making a move for another defender now brings its own risks. Liverpool is short in that department as things stand, with the Reds chasing Champions League soccer.

However, delaying in a bid to wait for an elite option to be available instead of just signing someone who isn't at the required world-class level could pay off in the long term.

Liverpool.com says: Bastoni is an excellent defender but links with him have always felt a lot like the Nicolo Barella situation. In the end, the Italian midfielder never left Inter.