Here's what we finally, actually know, at least according to the Telegraph and Times and Liverpool Echo. Liverpool--they of the not having a regularly fit and on-form left-back other than Jon Flanagan in the last decade--have made an official bid for Sevilla's 21 year old fullback Alberto Moreno, who is currently on international duty with the 30-man Spain squad ahead of the World Cup. The bid is reported to be £16m, which would be a club-record fee to pay for a player in that role, but between the talent and promise of the player and the club's need in the position, few are grimacing at the offer.
It's consistent with Marca's report earlier in the week, and it's a step in the right direction, it seems, for Brendan Rodgers as he looks to build a squad capable of competing at the highest level for the long-term. If a deal does go through, this would ideally be the left-back position sorted for years to come, and it would allow for continued competition for places among a collective of quality young players looking to cement their place in Liverpool's first team.
The only uncertainty in the deal--other than whether or not he's actually going to, you know, sign for Liverpool--appears to be how exactly another talented young Spaniard fits into the deal. After spending a season on loan at Almeria, Suso appeared set to challenge for a spot in the Liverpool squad again. Suddenly that's not the case, as talk of a move for Moreno has included Suso headed in the opposite direction.
Nobody seems to be entirely clear on how long he'll be headed that way if something does come to pass, however, with a lack of consensus as to whether the adaptable midfielder has been offered on a season-long loan or on a permanent basis. The latest report from Tony Barrett at the Times has Sevilla asking for £2m more and Suso uninvolved, which certainly clears the whole thing right up.
For many that would go a long way toward determining the overall sentiment about the Moreno deal; Suso has been a fan favorite over the past few seasons, with his progress closely tracked through the youth setup, first team, and this past year with Almeria. Ideally this ends up with Moreno arriving somewhere in the neighborhood of the fee being touted, and Suso either spends another year in La Liga, only this time around with the current Europa League champions, or he stays and Moreno comes anyway. That would be good too.