It’s been a busy few days in the market for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, creating a lot of buzz about the probable ins and outs at Anfield.
Liverpool, who are in the need of an urgent squad reshaping, have made quick moves in the transfer window and are being linked with a number of players all over the continent. Certainly, an 8th placed finish in the Premier League did not gel well with the fans and the board of directors. With Klopp’s first major transfer window at the club, a stack-load of transfer activity is expected until the end of August.
Piotor Zielinski snubs Napoli for Anfield move
Udinese starlet Piotor Zielinski is intent on leaving the Italian club as he made only 19 appearances for the side before spending three seasons on loan at Empoli. Playing predominantly as a Regista at the heart of Empoli’s midfield, the 22-year-old tallied 5 goals and 4 assists last season (according to WhoScored).
Liverpool have emerged as strong contenders to lure the upcoming Polish star away from the clutches of his parent-club Udinese, reportedly making a £9.5 million bid for the midfielder. Napoli, too, have shown an interest in the player, but it has been reported that Zielinski has ruled out the move, claiming to be interested in joining forces with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
He would certainly bring a lot of creativity in the middle for Liverpool and could even alternate positions with Philippe Coutinho, with either of the duo dropping deeper to create space for the other. Like the Brazilian, Zielinski too enjoys to dribble his way into the opposition’s area and when in song, the Polish maestro’s performances are a sight to behold.
Given the way Liverpool have transformed into a more adept and agile unit, the current Udinese man could be deemed as a perfect fit.
Klopp has turned his attention to Soufiane Boufal
After a tumultuous few seasons in Bavaria, Mario Gotze was destined to leave the Bundesliga outfit in a bid to pursue regular playing time. However, with the imminent arrival of Carlo Ancellotti, the 24-year-old may still change his mind and continue playing for Bayern Munich. Once a sure-shot option for Jurgen Klopp, Gotze now looks like one that could have been.
Turing his eye to the Ligue 1, the Liverpool boss seems to have found a gem in Soufiane Boufal. At a relatively nascent age of 22, the winger has set the world alight with some magnificent dribbling displays for his club Lille. According to WhoScored, the Lille starlet completed the second highest dribbles (4.4) in all of Europe’s top five leagues, a feat which could only be bettered by Hatem Ben Arfa.
If Klopp manages to convince Boufal, he would sign one of the most promising youngsters Ligue 1 has to offer. The Moroccan can play on either flank and could also be used centrally in a crisis situation. His versatility and on-field generalship would certainly add a lot of firepower to the current Liverpool roster.
You can read more about him here.
Liverpool to miss out on Bundesliga duo
Bundesliga players and reported Liverpool targets Niklas Sule and Mahmoud Dahoud look highly unlikely to join Liverpool in the summer. The former is plying his trade with Hoffenheim while the latter is an integral part of the Borussia Monchengladbach setup.
Klopp is looking in the market for a suitable replacement for long-serving centre-back Martin Skrtel. Sule has shown tremendous promise this season with the German club and has drawn the attention of the Liverpool boss. As per the Daily Express, the 20-year-old is aware about the interest from other sides, but believes that it would be in his best interests to stay put. “Here I have my usual environment, the proximity to my family in Frankfurt. To develop myself, I need playing time and a coach who trusts me. I have that in Julian Nagelsmann”, stated the Hoffenheim youngster.
The latter half of the Bundesliga pairing Mahmoud Dahoud will not be allowed to leave the club this summer, as per Goal.com. Liverpool were reportedly in a three-way tussle with the two Manchester clubs in United and City to secure the services of the midfielder. But now with the club reluctant to let go of their mainstay in midfield, the clubs now have to look elsewhere in search for options.
Chelsea have trumped Liverpool to emerge favourites for Yacine Brahimi
As reported earlier, Chelsea have overtaken Liverpool in the race to sign highly-rated Porto winger Yacine Brahimi. The Reds seemed certain to lure him away, but it is understood that Chelsea moved a step further and are now willing to meet his asking price of £23.5 million.
In his 85 appearances at the Portuguese side, the winger has managed to find the back of the net on 21 occasions, making him one of the most feared strikers in the continent. Despite being a wide-man by trade, the 26-year-old Algerian is capable of playing in a number of attacking positions.
In the year 2014, he was named as the African player of the year for his stellar performances that season where his contributions were pivotal for Granada, after which he made his move to Portugal. By the looks of things, Brahimi is on his way to England, but unfortunately for Jurgen Klopp, the player will move to the Stamford Bridge and not Anfield.
Liverpool are struggling to keep hold of their valued youngster Brannagan
20-year-old Cameron Brannagan has emerged as a transfer target for La Liga rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, which may eventually lead to a two-way clash for the services of the highly-rated youngster. While a fair share of funds may come the club’s way, the Liverpool boss is fighting to keep hold of their breakout star.
It is understood that Real Madrid first spotted the fledgling in a UEFA Youth Cup encounter when their side took on the Liverpool side. Emilio Butragueno, the one to scout Brannagan, has kept tabs on the player ever since and this window may be the ideal time for the club to make its move. Even though their rivals Barcelona have had their eyes set on him since a longer time, their financial crunch may not permit them to enter into a bidding war, thus making Real Madrid favourites to sign the Englishman.