Givairo Read: Liverpool's Right-Back Target from Feyenoord

Liverpool’s search for a long-term answer at right-back has taken them back to the Netherlands – and to one of the Eredivisie’s breakout performers.

Givairo Read, the 20-year-old Feyenoord full-back, has forced his way onto the radar of several of England’s biggest clubs after a blistering start to the season. Liverpool are tracking him closely, but they are not alone. Arsenal and Manchester City are in the frame as well, with all three watching his development with growing interest.

Feyenoord starlet forcing Europe to take notice

Feyenoord have started their Eredivisie campaign unbeaten, and Read has been right at the heart of it. Operating from right-back, he has already delivered five assists in just seven league appearances, a return that would stand out for a winger, let alone a defender.

That output has sharpened the focus on a player who was already attracting attention in the summer. Nottingham Forest made a move, tabling a bid to bring him to the Premier League, while Everton pushed hard too. Roma were also in the conversation, their interest tied to the Friedkin Group’s ownership links with Everton, but nothing was agreed and Read stayed put in Rotterdam.

The decision to remain in the Netherlands has not slowed him down. If anything, it has done the opposite. His performances have ensured the interest from England has not cooled at all.

Liverpool’s right-back puzzle

Liverpool’s renewed attention on Read comes at a time when their own right-back situation is far from settled.

Jeremie Frimpong has struggled to string together convincing performances this term, forcing Andoni Iraola into a rethink. The Liverpool manager has turned to Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo on the right side of defence in each of the last three league matches.

Araujo has looked increasingly assured in that role and has, for now, made the position his own. Yet his profile screams centre-back, and his form has only fuelled the idea that he could eventually step in as Virgil van Dijk’s long-term successor at the heart of Liverpool’s defence rather than stay marooned out wide.

That is where Read comes in. Liverpool see the Feyenoord defender as a potential specialist solution on the flank – a natural right-back with the attacking thrust to match the modern demands of the role.

Arsenal and City keep pace in transfer chase

Liverpool are not the only ones doing their homework. Arsenal and Manchester City have also monitored Read over recent months and have been encouraged by the way he has started this campaign.

His ability to consistently affect games in the final third from deep positions is understood to be a major part of his appeal. Five assists already in the Eredivisie underline why recruitment teams at the top of the Premier League are paying attention.

Sources believe a January move is a realistic possibility, but only if one of the interested clubs chooses to turn scouting into a formal bid. For now, the situation remains one of careful observation rather than concrete offers.

At 20, Read is approaching a pivotal point in his career. A switch to the Premier League would represent a major step up in intensity and expectation, but it is exactly the kind of move that can define a young defender’s trajectory.

Spotlight shifts to international stage

Before any decision on his future is made, Read has another platform to showcase his talent.

He has been named in the Netherlands under-21 squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Norway, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Those fixtures offer him the chance to prove he can translate his club form to the international stage, under the gaze of scouts who already know his name.

If he keeps delivering – in Rotterdam and in orange – the question may not be whether Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City make a move, but which of them is prepared to move first.