Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested in bringing Ajax forward Anwar El Ghazi to Anfield this summer as Christian Benteke is on the brink of an exit, as per reports.
It has been an extremely busy transfer window for Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side. After the signings of two free agents in Joel Matip and Alexander Manninger, Ragnar Klavan and Loris Karius moved to Anfield from the Bundesliga. Klopp then decided to splurge on his next two signings as he paid a total of €68.5 million (per Transfermarkt) to rope in Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane from Newcastle and Southampton respectively.
Striker Christian Beneteke has not had the best of times since completing a £32.5 million move from Aston Villa to Liverpool. Despite showing signs of promise in the early stages of the 2015/16 season, the Belgian talisman failed to impress Brendan Rodgers and his successor Jurgen Klopp. Crystal Palace were understood to be keen of snapping up the striker, but have been dealt a huge blow with West Bromwich Albion joining the race to sign the 27-year-old. Everton are also interested in Benteke and could table a bid should Romelu Lukaku leave the club.
Thus, with Benteke almost on his way out, Klopp has lined up a potential replacement for the forward. According to Italian media outlet Il Tempo (h/t Liverpool Echo), Liverpool are lining up a bid for highly-rated Ajax wing-forward Anwar El Ghazi. The Dutchman had a fantastic 2015/16 season in the Eredivisie, scoring 11 goals and providing 2 assists in 27 appearances.
Suits Liverpool’s style of play, but has a host of clubs vying for his signature
El Ghazi is a fabulous dribbler of the ball and is backed by immense pace which aids him in creating opportunities for his team. He is a decent header of the ball and has a physical presence inside the 18-yard-area. Despite being a winger by trade, he also poses a significant threat when deployed centrally. Klopp seems to have shown an interest in the youngster due to his ability to turn things around in the blink of an eye.
However, it is understood that the German manager will have to fight off three other clubs if he is to secure the services of the Ajax winger. 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester City, along with Lazio and Wolfsburg are all interested in signing the 21-year-old. According to Transfermarkt, the player is valued at €7 million, but given the interest he has generated over the last few weeks, the Dutch side could decide to cash-in on the player.
