Liverpool fans hardly ever heard from Michael Edwards or Julian Ward when they held the sporting director title at Anfield but Richard Hughes was put forward at a press conference yesterday that introduced Arne Slot to the media.

The pair spoke to journalists about all sorts of things, giving little away in terms of transfer activity. "When there are major competitions during the summer — a European Championship, Copa America and the Olympics as well — there's a lot of football being played, naturally the attention is going to be there," Hughes said.

He suggested that more movement could be expected in August. By that point, big players will have returned to their clubs and managers will have had the chance to run the rule over their existing squads.

Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today. We start with the latest on Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon who continues to be linked with a move to Anfield.

Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United)

New Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell will offer winger Anthony Gordon a new contract to extend his stay at St James' Park, the Newcastle Chronicle reports. But it adds that the Magpies fear Liverpool could come back with a straight cash offer for the 23-year-old after a laughable deal was proposed that would have seen Jarell Quansah move the other way.

Liverpool was never going to lose the young defender but Gordon is a massive talent. He reached double figures for Premier League goals and assists last season and is already producing more in the final third than Luis Diaz, despite being four years younger.

Liverpool.com says: If Liverpool can get a deal done for Gordon then that is the exact type of deal that Hughes should be targeting. Gordon, who is a Reds fan, has only two years left on his current contract and would be wise to avoid signing a new one if he wants to play for his boyhood club.

Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta)

Despite the player having already agreed terms with Juventus, Gazzetta dello Sport (as translated by Sport Witness) has claimed Liverpool is the frontrunner to sign Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners this summer. The transfer has been put on ice with Atalanta hopeful that it will be able to sell the 26-year-old abroad and not to a Serie A rival.

Koopmeiners has already told his current side that he wants to leave. But Atalanta will not let him go on the cheap: it wants a fee of around $70m (£55m/€65m) for the Europa League winner.