Liverpool are still exploring the possibility of signing Cheick Doucoure this summer, but the midfielder’s price tag remains an obstacle.
With just a few days of the window remaining, the Reds are still searching around to see if any late business can be done.
The club were said to be “stepping up their efforts” to bring Doucoure to Anfield earlier this month, but the subsequent arrival of Wataru Endo has seen those links diminish somewhat in recent weeks.
It was later reported that Liverpool were looking to add a “multi-functional” midfielder rather than a “specialist” No. 6 to accompany Endo.
The Independent‘s Miguel Delaney now claims that the Reds remain interested in Doucoure, but that Crystal Palace‘s valuation remains a sticking point.
The Mali international was reported as having a £70 million price tag last month, but separate reports from Delaney suggested that he could be available for less than £60 million.
Liverpool are said to be “investigating” the feasibility of adding another midfielder before Friday’s deadline, adding that there is “still interest” in the 23-year-old.
The midfielder was named Crystal Palace‘s Player of the Season for 2022/23 and looks to have been on the club’s radar throughout the summer, but a formal approach is still yet to have been reported.
Wilfried Ndidi is also thought to be under consideration, with Leicester considered more likely to sell late in the window after suffering relegation to the Championship last season.
Doucoure was touted as a potential Fabinho replacement last month following the Brazilian’s departure to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.
The signing of Endo from Stuttgart slightly offset the need for defensive midfield recruitment, but there are still plenty of calls from supporters to add one more this week.
Failed moves for big-money deals to bring Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to the club have amplified that noise, with Ryan Gravenberch among the most recent names to be linked.
Whether the Reds conduct any late business remains to be seen, but the impressive start to the campaign has demonstrated that Klopp’s side can be competitive if they are supplemented with further acquisitions.
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