As Jurgen Klopp‘s Liverpool squad briefly return to Merseyside before heading to Germany on Wednesday, we round up Monday’s transfer reports.
After a successful trip to Hong Kong that heralded victories over Crystal Palace and Leicester City, the Reds are back on Merseyside.
The 25 players to head to the Far East will join up with the likes of Andrew Robertson, Emre Can and Sadio Mane, as Klopp’s squad nears its completion ahead of 2017/18.
There are likely to be changes made over the next six weeks, however, so here’s the latest from the rumour mill.
Reds Wait For Green Light in Van Dijk Pursuit
Liverpool were handed a major boost in their hopes of signing Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk over the weekend, when Mauricio Pellegrino confirmed his captain had asked to leave St Mary’s.
Given the Reds were forced to publicly apologise and end their interest in the Dutchman in June, however, they are not in the best position to force through a move.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool are set to wait until given assurances from Southampton that they would be willing to open negotiations before they make an approach.
This leaves the club waiting to see how the Saints’ internal politics play out, though Van Dijk has been left out of Pellegrino’s squad for their pre-season training camp in France which certainly points to things not being right between club and player at present.
If Van Dijk has resolved to move this summer, the Reds may be able to broker a deal in the coming weeks.
Is Keita Pushing For Liverpool Move?
Reports on Sunday night suggested Liverpool would wait until next summer before reviving their interest in RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita – perhaps news that Liverpool pushed in order to have the German club accept their final offer.
The Telegraph claim that “unless there is major u-turn from the Bundesliga side,” the Reds will bid their time until Keita’s £48 million release clause becomes active.
However, the 22-year-old may already been pushing for the exit, if reports from Leipzig training in Austria are to be believed.
Keita was involved in a training ground bust up with team mateDiego Demme, prompting manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to end his session abruptly.
Is this a sign of frustration from the Guinean? It remains pure conjecture at this stage…
Juventus Close to £31 Million Can Deal?
Speaking last week, Klopp said that he was “confident” of Liverpool reaching an agreement over a new contract for Emre Can.
The German has one year left on his current deal, and his representatives have been in talks with the Reds for a lengthy period, as they look to seal an extension.
However, Serie A giants Juventus have been regularly linked with a move for Can, and according to Italian outlet Tuttosport, their interest may have developed.
They claim that the Turin side will make an offer worth up to £31 million for the 23-year-old, with Can hopeful of making the switch to Juventus Stadium.
However, if Can is looking to leave Liverpool, he could be forced to wait until his contract expires next summer.
Liverpool Target Young Polish Midfielder
While the summer transfer window has focused largely on a handful of high-profile names, one potential new target has emerged in the form of Legia Warsaw’s Sebastian Szymanski.
According to the Polska Times, the Reds are interested in signing the 18-year-old midfielder.
Szymanski has only 15 appearances for the Legia first team so far, but has caught the eye, scoring in Wednesday’s 6-0 win over IFK Mariehamn in the second round of Champions League qualifiers.
Liverpool will avoid Legia in their play-off clash next month, as they seek to secure their place in Europe’s top tier this season.
But they should still be keeping tabs on Szymanski, who can play in both the middle of the park and on the right flank, where he shone against Mariehamn.
Villa Join Clubs Interested in Ojo
Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo is certainly not short of suitors this summer, with the 20-year-old set to leave on loan for 2017/18.
Fulham, Derby County and Middlesbrough have already had offers accepted by the Reds, while Newcastle United retain an interest in the youngster, who joined from MK Dons in 2011.
Now, according to the Mirror, Aston Villa have begun their own pursuit of Ojo, who will likely decide his next move in the near future.
It can be argued that Fulham will be his most suitable destination, with a former target, Ryan Sessegnon, proving the virtue of playing under Cottagers manager Slavisa Jokanovic.
Meanwhile, Jordon Ibe enjoyed a profitable loan spell with Derby in 2014/15, but the last Reds player to join Villa on a temporary basis, Tiago Ilori, failed to make an appearance.
Fan Comments