Serie A star Gonzalo Higuain is ready to forego Champions League football as he wants to play under Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp, according to reports from the British media.
Higuain has been one of the best players in Serie A last season, scoring a record 36 goals from 35 league appearances. His brilliant performances have helped the Partenopei finish second in the league.
In fact, Napoli’s performance was so good in the first half of the season they were leading the table for the first time since the days of the legendary Diego Maradona, during the winter break.
Higuain is said to have received a number of lucrative offers from different clubs across Europe, after a momentous season at the Stadio San Paolo. However, the Argentine striker is keen on joining Liverpool despite not qualifying for Europe, according to the Daily Mirror.
Liverpool are expected to overhaul their squad in order to get their iconic manager Jurgen Klopp the players he wants to implement his gegenpressing system.
One of the key areas where the Reds look like they need a quality signing is the forwards department. Daniel Sturridge has proved his quality as an out and out striker, but the England international is too injury prone to be the first choice at a top club like Liverpool.
Christian Benteke has also proven to be a failure as a striker at the club, managing to score only 10 goals from 41 appearances last season. The Reds are reportedly prepared to let him go, and bring in another striker in his place.
Klopp’s reputation helping Liverpool’s cause
Although the Reds cannot offer European football to any of their players next season, it is their manager Jurgen Klopp who seems to be drawing the top players to the club in the summer transfer window.
Klopp had enjoyed tremendous success in building a below par Borussia Dortmund side into back-to-back Bundesliga champions. He had even managed to take the Black and Yellows into the final of the Champions League, which they eventually lost to Bayern Munich.
Last season, Klopp managed to take Liverpool to the League Cup and the Europa League finals, despite having to work with a squad that was more suited to Brendan Rodgers’s passing style of football. However, the Reds’ boss needs to improve Liverpool’s league form in the coming season.
