‘Unbelievable’ Bournemouth star set for exit before opening day Liverpool clash
Liverpool will begin their attempts to retain the Premier League title against Bournemouth.
The Reds host the Cherries at Anfield (15 August) and will be looking to send a statement to their title rivals, Manchester City and Arsenal.
Fenway Sports Group have backed Arne Slot after his remarkable first campaign on Merseyside after replacing Jurgen Klopp.
However, the same cannot be said for Andoni Iraola on the South Coast, and he could be about to lose another one of his best players, after already seeing Milos Kerkez join Liverpool.
Liverpool target Zabaryni set for PSG move
The Reds were vanquished by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16, and it looks like they will be once again in the transfer market.
Liverpool had been eyeing Cherries star Ilya Zabarnyi as a potential recruit for their centre-back options [Football Insider], with only Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate available right now.
However, he is set to move to the French capital, meaning that the Anfield side will have to move on to alternative targets.
Fabrizio Romano claimed via X (7 August) that the deal was close, reposted his previous post with a timer emoji and a checkered flag.
Zabarnyi exit will be huge boost for Liverpool
The Ukrainian international will be a huge loss for Iraola’s side if he ultimately makes the move to the European champions before the deadline.
If it happens within the next week, then the Reds will be the beneficiaries as they will not have to face him in their opening match.
- Zabarnyi joined Bournemouth in the summer of 2023
- Made 36 Premier League appearances last season
- Won 62.8 per cent of his ground duels last season
Zabarnyi was hailed as “unbelievable” by former teammate Phillip Billing in December 2023 [Bournemouth Echo], and he has since become an integral figure for the Cherries.
They may still come up against him in Europe, if they end up facing the Parisians again, but it will be a welcome relief for Slot’s side if he moves on before the clash.
The likes of Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz may have thrived anyway against Zabaryni, but without him, Bournemouth are much weaker defensively, and that can only be a positive for the L4 outfit.
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