Liverpool could be about to make a sensational first signing under new manager Arne Slot
Liverpool manager Arne Slot oversees training in July 2024.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool have reportedly identified an Arsenal academy star as a potential first signing under new manager Arne Slot this summer.
Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp after the German stepped down in May following nine seasons at Anfield.
And even with Klopp in charge, it had looked like being something of a transitional summer for the Red. With Slot now at the helm, the club's rebuilding process will continue and the club have been linked with a number of young talents.
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One report in Germany suggests Slot could target a former Arsenal academy player, who is now playing his football in the Bundesliga.
According to BILD, Liverpool are keen to sign Netherlands forward Donyell Malen, who spent two years at Arsenal before moving back to his homeland with PSV in 2017.
Malen has been at Borussia Dortmund since 2021 and scored 13 goals in 27 games in the Bundesliga in 2023/24.
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Donyell Malen celebrates after scoring for the Netherlands against Romania at Euro 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)
The 25-year-old also scored twice for the Netherlands against Romania at Euro 2024, making a total of four appearances in the tournament as the Dutch reached the semi-finals.
Arsenal have also been linked with a move for their former forward, who could cost around £40 million this summer.
In FourFourTwo's view, Malen does not seem like a player to take Liverpool or Arsenal to the next level, but the Dutch striker could be a useful squad member for either side and one way or another, a return to England does look likely for the 25-year-old.
Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.
