Andy Robertson’s proposed move to Tottenham Hotspur from Liverpool appears to have fizzled out less than a week before the conclusion of the January transfer window. Spurs reportedly were hoping to sign the Scotland international on a free transfer in the summer, but decided to advance their plans by a few months amid an injury crisis in their squad.
Thomas Frank’s side had contacted Anfield last week, and discussions between the two Premier League clubs were said to be progressing smoothly, with the latter asking for a relatively modest transfer fee of £5million.
Reports also suggest that a deal was agreed in principle between the two clubs, according to which Robertson would join the Spurs only after Liverpool’s Champions League meeting with Qarabag on Wednesday, 28 January.
Liverpool unable to secure Robertson’s backup until end of season
Talks between Tottenham and Liverpool, however, have suddenly hit a roadblock with Robertson now likely to spend the rest of the season with the latter, according to The Daily Express.Â
What threw the spanner in the works for Tottenham was Liverpool’s inability to secure a replacement for Robertson until the end of the season. The Reds were initially hoping to recall Kostas Tsimikas, whom they had loaned to Serie A giants AS Roma.
Roma, however, don’t have a back-up for Tsimikas either, and thus have the right to retain the Greek left-back until the end of the season, according to The Athletic.
Liverpool are said to still be in touch with Roma over Tsimikas, with Robertson’s move to north London dependent on it. However, with the January window closing in a matter of days, the possibility of Tsimikas and Robertson’s transfers appear highly unlikely at the moment.
Both Frank and his Liverpool counterpart Arne Slot, meanwhile, have refused to divulge plans for the remaining days of the transfer window.
“No updates in terms of transfers. I never speak in public about transfers. There’s nothing to say on my side,” Slot told reporters following Liverpool’s 2-3 defeat at Bournemouth, in which Robertson had been brought on as a substitute at the start of the second half.
“Just on that one, in general as you don’t know me that well, I don’t speak about players that are not in the club, except Ronaldo and Messi,” is what Frank replied when quizzed on the same topic.