Why Liverpool could pull off PERFECT free transfer

Free transfer deals are inherently brutal. Losing a once useful asset for nothing is heartbreaking.

Liverpool fans are now more aware of that fact than most after Trent Alexander-Arnold announced his intention to leave the club this summer, upon the expiration of his contract, and join Real Madrid.

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The right-back phenom, who would likely have brought in a substantial transfer fee, will be moving on for zilch, a situation that many fans believe the player manufactured to suit his new club.

But not every free transfer is as cutthroat as this. Occasionally, clubs allow players to run down their contract because there is a mutual agreement in place for such an eventuality to happen.

It is believed that this specific type of incident is why Lille are letting Jonathan David go this summer.

Liverpool are in the hunt for a striker, and they are one of many clubs interested in a move for him.

The details regarding David's circumstances

According to The Athletic, unless the Canadian is approached by a team playing in the Club World Cup, he will be available on the market from July 1 and he is hoping to play in the Champions League.

Over the last four seasons, he has demonstrated that he can be a consistently prolific No. 9 in the French league, delivering goal returns of 19, 26, 26 and 25 since the 2021/22 campaign.

At 25-years-old, he is approaching the prime of his career, and he will no doubt be looking to branch out and experience playing in different countries. This is his latest opportunity for a statement move.

Ordinarily, you might expect a deal to be more tricky than meets the eye, as one of the reasons for a player departing as a free agent might be because the finances aren't matching up.

And while David is certainly going to be looking for a pay-rise, his current wage (per Capology) is €37,500 a week which could easily be improved upon without a club breaking the bank for him.

Furthermore, the absence of a transfer fee from a deal is going to make it even easier for his financial demands to be accepted. Liverpool are interested in a move for him, but as mentioned earlier, it will not be straightforward negotiation to approach. Almost everyone in Europe wants him.

The report claims that Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham have all got their eye on him, with varying degrees of admiration.

The Spanish giants are currently front of the queue because the player has previously mentioned his desire to play for them one day, although Napoli have reportedly met with his representatives.

Beyond that, there is a concern that the player's needs might not be met.

In the report, his national team coach Jesse March explains: "Knowing Johnny, he is going to want to play [wherever he goes]. He's going to want to go to the best club he can be at.

"The most important thing for him is, it's not good if he goes somewhere and then he had to play on the bench a lot and not get minutes to keep himself sharp and fit and ready to go, especially with the World Cup being a year away."

As such, it is plausible to suggest that only Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Napoli will have a chance, after winning their country's domestic league this season. The four clubs are all performing at the peak of their powers and will be strong favourites in Europe next season.

Given the vast amount of money that the Reds seem to be willing to put into a deal for Florian Wirtz, it is clear that David would be the perfect striker for Liverpool - reliable and a relatively cheap package.

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Whether any of this interest will force a formal set of negotiations to come to fruition is still up in the air, but if July 1 is the concrete deadline, then perhaps the club will have got itself into a strong enough position to try and persuade the Canadian that a move to Merseyside would be ideal.

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