Liverpool to receive 'premium' fee for player as Fabrizio Romano confirms transfer

Liverpool have been one of the busier Premier League teams in the summer transfer market and Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed there has been another departure from Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp is in the process of rebuilding his squad, signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton and RB Leipzig for a combined fee of around £95m.

Klopp has also allowed a number of senior players to leave the club, with James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino and Naby Keita all departing last month at the end of their contracts.

Transfer expert Romano has now revealed that Liverpool youngster Elijah Gift has left the club to return to his native Spain with Athletic Bilbao, in a move which is set to pocket the Reds a useful transfer fee.

Gift had just completed his first season with Liverpool's U18 team, making 20 appearances in 2022/23 - scoring four goals and registering three assists for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's side.

"Deal sealed, completed. Athletic Club sign Liverpool 2006-born forward Elijah Gift on permanent deal," tweeted Romano.

"Medical successfully completed, been told he signed deal until June 2028."

Bilbao to pay 'premium' for Gift

The Liverpool Echo claim Bilbao will pay a fee in the region of £1m for Gift, with the La Liga club paying a premium for the player because of their strict rules around selection.

Bilbao famously only select players born in the Basque region, with Gift himself hailing from the town of Corella.

Gift took to Instagram on Sunday to post a farewell message to Liverpool and its supporters.

"Dear Reds, sadly, after six years at this amazing club, today marks the end of my journey with Liverpool FC. I am truly grateful for every second I have spent at this special club," he wrote.

"At this point, I would like to express my appreciation for my team-mates, the coaches, staff and everyone for believing in me from day one and pushing me to the best of my ability.

"I am forever grateful. #YNWA."

Topics: Liverpool, Athletic Bilbao, Premier League, La Liga, Transfers, Fabrizio Romano

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan