What to expect from Liverpool on transfer deadline day as defender search could take twist

Transfer deadline day has been something of a spectator sport for Liverpool in recent times. Rarely have the Reds been involved in the madness that grips football in the final hours of the player trading months, with only straightforward loan deals for younger players being arranged and the occasional first-team star joining across most of the last decade.

Ryan Gravenberch signed late in the window last year but it is entirely fair to describe interest in him as long standing given discussions with former club Bayern Munich had been taking place for months before his eventual switch from the Bundesliga giants.

Usually, the Reds' recruitment team have their feet up in late August but all that might be subject to change this Friday, however, as new sporting director Richard Hughes, head coach Arne Slot and Fenway Sports Group's CEO of football, Michael Edwards, approach the final day of their first transfer window together as Liverpool's new three-pronged axis of power.

First, the outgoings: Stefan Bajcetic will complete a season-long loan move to Red Bull Salzburg to reunite with Pep Lijnders, who always spoke so effusively about the young midfielder during his time as Jurgen Klopp's assistant at Anfield.

Barcelona made an 11th-hour play for the former Celta Vigo starlet but it is RBS who have won the race to secure Bajcetic on loan, who needs minutes after the best part of 18 months dealing with fitness problems.

Calum Scanlon has agreed to sign for Millwall to join Owen Beck as the second academy left-back to move this summer after his short-term departure to Blackburn Rovers that was rubber-stamped this week.

Kaide Gordon is attracting Championship interest and had been in talks with Swansea City earlier this month, The former Derby County winger is expected to depart on loan having not been involved for the Under-21s this season in preparation of a temporary switch.

Ben Doak was wanted by both newly-promoted Leicester City and Southampton last month and the plan was for the Scottish winger to sit down with his representative and Hughes and Slot to thrash out a plan for the next stage of his career. Expect some movement on that front as Liverpool look to secure the best place for the teenager to kick on. Plenty are lining up to take him.

Tyler Morton's loan switch to Bayer Leverkusen fell through earlier this week and the Wirral-born midfielder is also attracting the interest of Atalanta and RB Leipzig. Liverpool are believed to be asking for around £20m for a player who has enjoyed successful spells with Blackburn Rovers and Hull City in the last couple of campaigns. The expectation is that he may now remain on Merseyside given Bajcetic has been allowed to depart on loan, although interest could yet intensify.

Wataru Endo was the subject of a rejected bid from Marseille earlier this summer at around £11.8m but the Japan captain seems certain to stay given the lack of senior additions in midfield and the Reds are not thought to be pursuing an alternative to Martin Zubimendi, whose £51m move from Real Sociedad collapsed earlier this month. Links to Alan Varela of Porto were dismissed to the ECHO earlier in the window.

The future of Joe Gomez is perhaps the biggest issue for Liverpool on August 30. The versatile defender was left out of the squad that travelled to Ipswich Town for the opening game of the season and was exploring his options after nine years as a Reds player.

Chelsea briefly took a look while Crystal Palace have also been credited with an interest, but much depends on the future of their own England defender, Marc Guehi, who has been a long-standing target for Newcastle United.

The Magpies have had a number of bids turned down by Palace for Guehi with the Eagles starting the centre-back for their 4-0 win over Norwich City in the second round of the Carabao Cup earlier this week. Fulham's move for Joachim Andersen will strengthen Palace's resolve to keep Guehi, which could hold implications for Gomez, who was the subject of a £45m deal with Newcastle in June.

Any sale of Gomez would almost certainly need Liverpool to bring in a replacement and the Reds are insisting they are planning for life with the 27-year-old in their ranks for the campaign ahead.

Names like Piero Hincapie and Goncalo Inacio, of Leverkusen and Sporting, respectively, have been linked in recent times, although it is understood there is no interest in pursuing a deal for Mohamed Simakan at RB Leipzig.

Liverpool's admiration for Newcastle's Anthony Gordon has not evaporated but the deal for Federico Chiesa and the fact the Magpies are now under no pressure to ease Profit and Sustainability issues until next summer at the earliest means a late revival of talks that got underway in late June isn't feasible.