The Under-21s European Championships get underway in Romania and Georgia on Wednesday, with Liverpool fans set to keep an eye on a number of players who could end up joining the Reds before the summer is out.
With Alexis Mac Allister the first arrival of a long-awaited midfield revamp, France pair Khephren Thuram and Manu Kone, the Netherlands’ Ryan Gravenberch, and Spain’s Gabri Veiga are all on Liverpool’s radar as they weigh up their next move.
Elsewhere, with the Reds also looking into signing a new left-sided centre-back if possible, the Netherlands’ Micky van de Ven continues to be linked with a move to Anfield, while England’s Levi Colwill has his admirers on the red half of Merseyside.
While Jurgen Klopp wants his transfer business completed as early as possible, the Euros do offer something of an obstacle. The final is scheduled to take place in the Adjarabet Arena in Batumi on July 8 - the same day that Liverpool are due to report back to the AXA Training Centre for the start of pre-season training.
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As a result, while the Reds will be free to negotiate with clubs and with agents as normal, the participating nations are unlikely to allow their players to hold talks and undertake medicals themselves, with such a process an unwanted distraction while they’re focusing on the European Championships. Therefore, if Liverpool wish to further interest in any of the aforementioned players, they are likely to have to wait until after their involvement concludes before pushing ahead with a deal.
You only need to look back to the Reds’ January signing of Cody Gakpo for an example of such practice, with the Dutchman asking his representatives not to tell him anything during the mid-season World Cup in Qatar. While Liverpool interest in the forward was already known by his camp during the tournament, sporting director Julian Ward only stepped up negotiations with PSV Eindhoven to thrash out a deal during an intense three-day period between Christmas Eve and Boxing Night - a week after the final and two weeks after the Netherlands had been eliminated by would-be world champions Argentina.
So while interested onlookers will be able to use the tournament as a way of taking a closer look at the Reds’ reported targets, there will also be one eye on when their participation in Romania and Georgia could be over ahead of accelerating potential transfer talks. With that in mind, we’ve taken a closer look at the aforementioned players’ Euros exploits and when Liverpool could be free to make their next summer signing…
GROUP-STAGES
Netherlands
Gravenberch and Van de Ven’s tournament will get underway on June 21 as they open Group A against Belgium. They then take on Portugal on June 24, before locking horns with co-hosts Georgia in their final group game on June 27.
Should they suffer a group-stage exit, the Reds’ could technically make movement on a potential deal for either player before the end of the month. However, with the Dutch a Pot 2 seed, they are expected to progress to the knockout stages.
Spain
Last European Champions in 2019, Spain are the top-ranked side in this summer’s tournament according to UEFA’s coefficients. Veiga and co. open the tournament in Group B against co-hosts Romania on June 21, before taking on Croatia on June 24.
Spain’s final group-game also takes place on June 27, but they are also expected to reach the knockout stages.
England
Liverpool will already be keeping one eye on England’s exploits, with Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones both named in Lee Carsley’s squad and set to miss the start of pre-season as a result. With Gareth Southgate joking that his senior players tap each other up during international camps, who knows if the pair will be in Colwill’s ear about a potential Anfield switch out in Georgia.
The young Lions are in Group C and open the tournament against Czech Republic on June 22, before taking on Israel on June 25. They then lock horns with reigning champions Germany in their final group game on June 28, with both nations expected to progress.
France
France are the Pot 1 seeds in Group D, with Thuram, Kone, and co. set to open the tournament against Italy on June 22 in an encounter that very much sets the tone.
They then take on Norway on June 25, before locking horns with Switzerland on June 28 in their final group outing. Like the aforementioned nations in focus, you would expect them to progress.
KNOCKOUT STAGES
So, say the Netherlands, Spain, England, and France do all reach the knockout stages. Who faces who and when?
Well the Group A winners will lock horns with the Group C runners-up on July 1, in a quarter-final clash which could see the Netherlands take on England. Meanwhile, on the same day, the Group B winners will lock horns with the Group D runners-up, with Spain likely to be involved against either France or Italy.
Should the Dutch progress as Group A runners-up, they will take on the Group C winners on July 2. Again, this could pit them against England, but is more likely to be Germany. And then if France top Group D, they will take on the Group B runners-up in the final quarter-final on the same day.
Both semi-finals take place on July 5, with the last-standing sides from Group A and Group C pitted against each other once again, as the remaining sides from Group B and Group D lock horns once more. Therefore, if all were still competing, the semi-finals would pit the Netherlands against England, and Spain against France. The final then takes place on July 8 in Georgia.
As a result, with Gravenberch, Van de Ven, Veiga, Colwill, Thuram, and Kone all likely to still be competing in the Under-21s European Championships come the knockout stages at the start of July, if Liverpool are to move for any of them, Klopp will probably have to remain patient to wrap up any such signings.
Yet, regardless of when such deals could be completed, one thing that is clear is that if the Reds did sign anyone competing in this summer’s tournament, they would not report back for pre-season until mid-July, unless they cut their summer holidays short.
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