Liverpool boss Arne Slot is set to miss out on his second transfer target in two days as French wonderkid Mathys Angely heads for Wolfsburg. The Reds were reported to be hot on the heels of the teenager, who is leaving Bordeaux after their demotion to semi-professional football.
Financial issues have sent France's sixth-most successful club tumbling down to the third tier, with Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) pulling out of a takeover deal to seal their fate late last month.
Losing Angely was an inevitability from then on, with the 17-year-old defender already boasting senior experience and caps for France's Under-17s. According to Le Parisien, Liverpool and Lens are among his admirers, but the youngster is set to sign for Wolfsburg pending the completion of a medical.
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The Reds' latest transfer setback comes just one day after long-standing midfield target Martin Zubimendi snubbed their advances to stay with Real Sociedad.
A new contract with higher wages was enough to convince Zubimendi to stick with his boyhood club, leaving Liverpool as the only Premier League club yet to make a single signing this summer.
Zubimendi - previously a target for Arsenal - was exceptional in the Euro 2024 final as Spain edged out England to lift the title. Slot has plenty of high-quality midfield options including Alexis Max Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, but the new manager will surely be keen to flesh out the squad with signings of his own.
Liverpool ended their pre-season with a goalless draw at home to Las Palmas on Sunday, after which Slot explained: "As a club like we are, we are always looking if we can strengthen the squad but it is not so easy to strengthen the squad.
"I said many times before, I inherited a really strong team and if we can, and if we think it is possible, we will strengthen the squad, but only if we can and only if we think it is possible."
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Slot has big shoes to fill after stepping into the role held by legendary manager Jurgen Klopp since 2015. Liverpool appointed Richard Hughes as their new sporting director and Michael Edwards to spearhead FSG's sporting operation ahead of the summer, but it has so far been an uneventful window in terms of recruitment.
The £27.5million sale of Fabio Carvalho to Brentford could yet spur things into life a matter of days before the Reds' Premier League opener at Ipswich Town.
