Givairo Read: Liverpool's Right-Back Target Shining in Eredivisie
Liverpool’s search for a long-term answer at right-back has a new focal point – and he’s lighting up the Eredivisie.
Givairo Read, the 20-year-old Feyenoord full-back, is being closely tracked by Liverpool after a blistering start to the season, with Arsenal and Manchester City also circling.
Dutch starlet forcing England’s elite to take notice
Read has been central to Feyenoord’s unbeaten league start, not just filling a role but driving their attacking play from deep. Seven Eredivisie appearances, five assists. Those numbers jump off the page for any full-back, let alone one still at the early stages of his career.
His output has cranked up the noise around him. Interest that flickered in the summer has not only survived – it has intensified.
Nottingham Forest came closest to bringing him to England in the last window, tabling a bid for the defender. Everton pushed hard as well, their pursuit strengthened by parallel interest from Roma, with both clubs sitting under the Friedkin Group umbrella. In the end, Feyenoord kept their man. No agreement, no late twist, and Read stayed put in the Netherlands.
But the Premier League’s heavyweights were watching.
Liverpool, Arsenal and City stay on the case
Liverpool kept tabs on Read throughout the summer, with Arsenal and Manchester City also monitoring his progress. None of the three made the decisive move then, but none of them have walked away either.
All three clubs have continued to track his performances as the new campaign has unfolded, and Read’s start has only reinforced the view that he is ready for a bigger stage. His attacking thrust from right-back is seen as a major part of his appeal – the kind of modern, high-output full-back profile that top clubs increasingly build around.
Liverpool, in particular, see a potential answer to a growing dilemma.
Liverpool’s right-back riddle
The right side of Liverpool’s defence has become a puzzle this season. Jeremie Frimpong has struggled to find rhythm and consistency, his form dipping enough to force Andoni Iraola into a rethink.
The response has been bold. Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo has started Liverpool’s last three league games at right-back. He has impressed, to the point where he now looks established in the role. Yet there is an obvious tension: Araujo is widely viewed as a natural centre-back, and his strong form only fuels the argument that he could one day step in as Virgil van Dijk’s long-term successor at the heart of the defence.
That leaves Liverpool weighing up their options. If Araujo ultimately shifts inside, someone else will need to own that right flank. Read, with his age, profile and output, fits the type Liverpool are examining.
January move on the table
Sources believe Read could emerge as a realistic option for a January move. Nothing is guaranteed at this stage; it will hinge on which of Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City decide to convert long-running admiration into a formal bid.
At 20, Read is approaching a crucial crossroads. A switch to the Premier League would be a major leap in his career, both in terms of pressure and development curve. For now, though, his focus remains rooted in the Eredivisie, where those five assists continue to keep him front and centre on scouting reports across England.
His performances have already earned him recognition at international level. Read has been named in the Netherlands under-21 squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Norway, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Those matches offer another stage, another test, and another chance to convince. Liverpool will watch. So will Arsenal. So will City.
The question now is simple: which of them moves first?
