Saudi club have ‘beaten’ Liverpool to summer target – but it could be good news

Liverpool’s reported goalkeeper target Bento is on the verge of a move to the Saudi Pro League, which could in fact be positive news for those on Merseyside.

Brazilian outlet Globo reported at the end of June that Liverpool were among the clubs monitoring the situation of Athletico Paranaense stopper Bento.

This came following the breakdown of his proposed move to Inter Milan, with Sporting CP and Benfica also named as suitors as a price tag of around £12.7 million was mooted.

On face value, it made sense, with Bento serving as understudy to Alisson in the Brazil national team and Liverpool losing a senior goalkeeper as Adrian left for Real Betis.

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— Bento Krepski (@Bentokrepski) June 18, 2024

But the 25-year-old is now closing in on a move to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, with Globo reporting that an €18 million (£15.1m) bid was accepted on Tuesday.

Bento has Travelled to the Middle East to undergo his medical, and speaking on his departure he revealed talks with Brazil and Liverpool goalkeeper coach Claudio Taffarel who assured him the move would not affect his chances with the national team.

The deal could be seen as a blow to Liverpool given their reported interest, but on the contrary, the development suggests there is no likelihood of Alisson leaving for Saudi Arabia.

While the No. 1 had privately intimated that he remained happy on Merseyside amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, ongoing speculation was a concern.

The reality now, though, is that the only top Saudi club still in need of a new goalkeeper is Al-Ittihad, with Man City‘s Ederson the more likely candidate now for Fabinho‘s team.

Though bids are often reported as arriving from particular clubs in the Saudi Pro League, the overarching spending power remains the state’s Public Investment Fund.

Players brought in to Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are effectively signed by the state before being allocated to a particular club.

And therefore while Al-Nassr were cited as the club interested in Ederson, with a €30 million bid rejected as Man City hold out for €50 million, there has already been speculation that he could instead take the vacancy at Al-Ittihad.

There has been little in the way of concrete reports surrounding Alisson, who is instead set to rejoin his Liverpool team-mates for pre-season later this month.

Alisson is currently enjoying a three-week break after Brazil’s exit from Copa America, with his expected return date being in the week commencing July 29.

Find out when each of Liverpool’s remaining internationals are due back here.