Givairo Read: Liverpool Monitor Feyenoord's Rising Star
Liverpool are keeping a close watch on Dutch right-back Givairo Read after his electric start to the season – but they are not alone, with Arsenal and Manchester City also tracking the Feyenoord youngster.
The 20-year-old has been one of the driving forces behind Feyenoord’s unbeaten opening to the Eredivisie campaign. Operating from right-back, he has already produced five assists in just seven league matches, numbers that have sharpened the focus of some of England’s biggest clubs and underlined the speed of his development.
Premier League giants circle
Read was already on the verge of a move to England in the summer. Nottingham Forest made a bid, Everton pushed hard, and Roma’s interest added another layer, with both the Italian club and the Merseysiders under the Friedkin Group umbrella. In the end, nothing was agreed and Read stayed in the Netherlands.
The story did not end there. Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City all tracked him closely over that same period and, crucially, have not stepped away. Their scouts have continued to follow his progress, and his start to the new season has only strengthened the case for a future move.
Liverpool, in particular, see Read as a possible answer to a growing issue on their right flank.
Liverpool’s right-back puzzle
The right-back role at Anfield is in flux. Jeremie Frimpong has struggled to find consistent form this season, opening the door for Andoni Iraola to reshuffle his defence. The Liverpool manager has turned to Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo at right-back in the last three league games, a switch that has stabilised the side but also raised a longer-term question.
Araujo has impressed and, for now, made the position his own. Yet his natural game and profile point towards centre-back, where he looks a genuine candidate to become Virgil van Dijk’s eventual successor at the heart of the defence if he remains at Anfield and sustains this level.
That leaves Liverpool weighing up their options. Read’s attacking output from deep – those five Eredivisie assists are no accident – is a major part of his appeal and one reason his name has stayed near the top of recruitment lists after the summer window closed.
January on the horizon
Sources believe Read could come into play as early as January. A mid-season move is on the table, but only if one of the interested clubs decides to convert months of monitoring into a formal offer. For Read, at 20, the timing is delicate. He is entering a crucial phase of his career, and a jump to the Premier League would be a huge step, both in expectation and intensity.
For now, the spotlight remains on his performances in the Eredivisie. His five assists have helped keep Feyenoord unbeaten and ensured his name stays firmly on the radar of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City.
That attention will only grow over the international break. Read has been called up to the Netherlands under-21 squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Norway, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina – another stage, another test, and another chance for England’s elite to judge whether this is the moment to move.
