According to reports from British journalists who are close to sources at the Merseyside club, Liverpool FC are not interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
Reds’s manager Jurgen Klopp is set to overhaul his squad in the summer to build the team that would best suit his particular brand of football. Klopp is likely to make major changes in midfield, which lacked sharpness and creativity last season.
Reports from the Italian media, a couple of days back, suggested that Liverpool are now ready to sign Kovacic, who has had a rather uneventful season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, James Pearce of Liverpool Echo dismissed the reports, claiming that Liverpool are not interested in signing the Croatia international who is being pursued by Juventus.
The reigning Serie A champions are also likely to pull out of a possible deal as they have already signed Miralem Pjanic from AS Roma. On the other hand, the Roman club could end up being a possible destination for the 22-year-old, as they have just lost one of their best playmakers.
Kovacic is currently with the Croatian squad in France for Euro 2016. However, due to the presence of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic, Kovacic is yet to start a match.
The 22-year-old had suffered the same fate during his first season at Real Madrid, when he could only manage eight starts.
Rumours fueled by previous interest?
The Reds were also linked with Kovacic, last summer, when Brendan Rodgers was the manager at the club. However, the new management at Liverpool, headed by Klopp, is seemingly uninterested in signing the Croatian midfielder.
The fact that Kovacic has not seen much action in his first season at Real Madrid, is a big area of concern for the 22-year-old. The Croat has scored one goal and has provided just two assists last season. Understandably, the midfielder is likely to explore opportunities that assure him greater game time.
Although the current speculation has been put to rest by the Echo, Liverpool’s failed attempts to sign Kovacic a year back, coupled with their current search of a deep lying playmaker, does make him a possible target.
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