Liverpool steps up Santiago Hezze transfer pursuit as 'private jet sent to collect star'

Liverpool has stepped up its last-minute pursuit of Olympiacos midfielder Santiago Hezze by reportedly sending a private jet for the player.

The Reds have been linked with a last-minute move for the Argentine in the final few hours of the transfer window as Arne Slot remains keen on bringing in a new holding midfielder this summer, having already failed to lure Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.

But despite recent claims that Liverpool is targeting a transfer for Hezze ahead of tomorrow's deadline, The Athletic has already shut down such suggestions, stating that the 22-year-old is not a target for the club.

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However, a remarkable report now suggests otherwise, claiming that a private jet is already on its way to Athens to pick up the Olympiacos star.

According to a report from Anfield Watch, the private jet used by Liverpool to take Federico Chiesa from Italy to Merseyside and Stefan Bajcetic to RB Salzburg is now due to travel to the Greek capital, which is located just 8km from the port city of Piraeus where Olympiacos is based.

While it's noted that the private jet used for Liverpool's recent transfers is not actually owned by the club itself, and that the flight to Athens could very well be chartered by someone else, it's certainly enough to get Reds fans excited and suggest that the club is using it once more to get a deal over the line.

The transfer window closes at 11pm BST (6pm ET) on Friday, August 30, leaving the Reds with very little time to process through any last-minute business. However, it appears plans have already been made to sign Hezze in time, if the report about the chartered private jet to Athens is true.

Hezze impressed for Argentina's Under-23's at the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, starting La Albiceleste's first two group stage games against Morocco and Iraq before being used as a second-half substitute in the final fixture against Ukraine. However, there was no appearance in the last 16 defeat to hosts France.

Nonetheless, the youngster's inclusion came off the back of an impressive debut campaign for Olympiacos in which he made 50 appearances across all competitions as his side finished third in the Greek Super League and won the Europa Conference League.

The defensive midfielder had previously been on the books of Argentine Primera Division outfit Huracan, where he provided nine goals and eight assists in 122 appearances following his first-team breakthrough in 2020.

Hezze, who's contract at Olympiacos runs until the summer of 2028, is currently valued at $11.1million (£8.4m/€10m) by Transfermarkt, which is more than affordable for Liverpool if it wishes to pursue a last-minute move for the midfielder.