Liverpool have now been provided with an update on their pursuit of Brentford defender Aaron Hickey, who is being targeted by some of the Premier League's top clubs.
Is Aaron Hickey leaving Brentford?
The Reds have recently been linked with a move for Hickey, but they are not the only top club eyeing a deal, with Football Insider reporting that Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are now ready to battle it out for his signature in January. However, the 21-year-old is currently said to be happy at the Gtech Community Stadium, despite the widespread interest, and Brentford are under no obligation to sell him anytime soon, given that he is contracted until the summer of 2026.
The Scot has solidified his place in the Brentford starting XI this season, appearing in all six of their Premier League games up to this point, and he deputised for Rico Henry in the 3-1 loss against Everton on Saturday, after the left-back suffered a serious knee injury.
As such, the Bees may be even more unwilling to let the full-back leave in the January transfer window, and Football Insider report it will take a huge bid for elite clubs like Liverpool or Arsenal to prise him away from his current club.
Brentford have no plans to let the youngster leave at any point in the near future, in what could be a blow for the Reds, whose links to him come amid the recent injury setback suffered by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Joe Gomez has been deputising at right-back, but the Brentford defender is a more natural option, and Klopp had been hoping he could get a deal done this winter.
However, the Scotland international is keen to play regularly ahead of next year's European Championships in Germany, and he does not want to disrupt his flow of first-team football ahead of the tournament with a mid-season move.
How good is Aaron Hickey?
Lauded as "brilliant" by members of the media, the right-back has impressed for both club and country over the past 18 months, establishing himself as a first-team player for Brentford, and racking up 11 caps for his country since making his debut in March 2022.
Given that the Glasgow-born defender's career is just starting to take off, it is clear to see why he may be unwilling to move to Liverpool this January, where he would undoubtedly be behind Alexander-Arnold in the pecking order.
Considering he is still young, the former Bologna man is still prone to the odd bad performance, and he was withdrawn early against Everton at the weekend, receiving a Sofascore match rating of 6.1, the lowest figure of any player on the pitch.
As such, it is clear that Hickey needs regular first-team football, if he is going to fulfill his potential, and a move to Anfield may not be exactly what he needs at this point in time.
Considering Brentford are set to hold out for a huge fee, it is probably wise for Liverpool to steer clear, and begin to look at other right-back targets.