Euro Paper Talk: Klopp targets tremendous trio as Liverpool upgrade plan gets Fabrizio Romano approval; Arsenal man responds to Barcelona links
Liverpool are chasing Assan Ouedraogo and Kalvin Phillips
Liverpool are chasing three players in January as Jurgen Klopp looks to fix a problem position, an Arsenal star has played down talk he could join Barcelona, while Newcastle are in talks over a €30m-rated Romania star.
KLOPP WANTS PHILLIPS OR ANDRE AT LIVERPOOL
Liverpool are stepping up their efforts to further strengthen their midfield options in January and have three contenders they want to sign as a new No 6, according to various reports.
The Reds allowed Fabinho to depart Anfield over the summer after they accepted a £40m offer from Saudi side Al-Itiihad, allowing them to recoup almost all of their initial investment some five years earlier.
While the sale of the Brazilian made excellent business sense, it left something of a hole in the Liverpool midfield, which has since been filled by, of sorts, by summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Waturu Endo between them.
However, Endo looks little more than a squad signing, while Mac Allister is clearly not comfortable playing so deep, or with his back to goal.
And with Mac Allister proving a far better No 8 than a 6, Klopp is stepping up that hunt to sign a new DM in the January window.
Top of his list is either Fluminense star Andre or England international Kalvin Phillips.
Brazil cap Andre, however, is also being chased by Arsenal and the belief in South America now is that Arsenal have the advantage in that particular transfer race.
As an alternative, Sky Deutschland claims Liverpool are one of three clubs getting serious in pursuit of exiled Man City man Phillips.
The England man will be allowed to leave the Etihad in January after failing to impress Pep Guardiola.
And according to the report, Liverpool are battling both Juventus and Bayern Munich for his signature.
City would want their money back on Phillips, however, with a £40m fee – £2m shy of the cash they paid Leeds – the likely ballpark figure.
Fabrizio Romano confirms Liverpool interest in Assan Ouedraogao
However, a third option for Liverpool is also on the agenda in the form of brilliant Schalke teenager Assan Ouedraogao.
The 17-year-old has caught several clubs’ attention this summer with some stellar performances.
And with Liverpool among them, we exclusively revealed on Monday that Borussia Dortmund have already opened talks over his signing.
To that end, Sky Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed the teenager can leave the 2.Bundesliga side for a mere €9m to €12m in January.
Now Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Liverpool are keen on Ouedraogao, though they are far from the only side keen to snare the teenager.
“There have been reports about Liverpool being keen on Schalke youngster Assan Ouedraogo, and yes it’s true that Liverpool like him,” Romano said on his Daily Briefing.
“But it’s the same for Bayern Munich and AC Milan. They are all informed on his situation, on his release clauses – he has different ones based on the clubs interested.
“For sure he’s a top talent and that’s why those three clubs are interested.
“I think he has great potential, he’ll need some time to develop but he looks a very good player.”
JORGINHO HAPPY AT ARSENAL AMID BARCELONA LINKS
Barcelona target Jorginho insists he’s not concerned over his future but insists he is “really happy” at Arsenal despite his deal being due to expire next summer. (various)
West Ham and Aston Villa have learned that Brahim Diaz can leave Real Madrid next summer for just €20m (£17.4m). (Sport)
Celta Vigo will move to appoint Andoni Iraola as their next coach if the Spaniard is axed by Premier League strugglers Bournemouth. (Estadio Deportivo)
Tottenham will watch Galatasaray’s Sacha Boey, Victor Nelsson and Kerem Akturkoglu on Tuesday night against Bayern Munich as they weigh up moves the trio. (various)
Manuel Locatelli’s agent insists his client never had any plans to leave Juventus for Brighton over the summer after the Seagulls’ interest was confirmed. (Tuttomercatoweb)
Leeds defender Robin Koch has made clear his wish to sign for Eintracht Frankfurt permanently and credits Marcelo Bielsa for making him the defender he is today. (Kicker)
Tottenham are stepping up their hunt to sign Stuttgart’s prolific striker Serhou Guirassy after confirmation he can leave the Bundesliga club for just €20m (£17.4m) in 2024. (Florian Plettenberg)
CHELSEA AND LIVERPOOL STEP UP NICOLAS GONZALEZ CHASE
Fiorentina’s Argentina winger Nicolas Gonzalez is attracting plenty of attention from Liverpool and Chelsea as they weigh up January offers. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Real Madrid have denied claims suggesting they are willing to pay €80m to sign Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez. (Bernabeu Digital)
Barcelona and Real Madrid are paying a close watch to Eli Junior Kroup, the 17-year-old Lorient forward who has been compared to Kylian Mbappe. (Sport)
Tottenham are to step up their interest in Club America’s Uruguay defender Sebastian Caceres. (various)
West Ham are monitoring AZ Alkmaar and Greece forward Vangelis Pavlidis as they look to bolster their attacking options. (90min)
Athletic Club captain Iker Muniain could leave the club on a free transfer after 14 years in 2024, having been limited to just 280 minutes of football this season. (Mundo Deportivo)
NEWCASTLE IN TALKS OVER €30M DEFENDER SIGNING
The agent of Genoa defender Radu Dragusin has confirmed he has held talks with Newcastle over a possible move, with the former Juventus centre-half valued at around €30m. (TV Play)
Genoa defender Radu Dragusin
West Ham target Piotr Zielinski is giving little away on his Napoli future with his deal at the Stadio Diego Maradona expiring next summer. (Tuttomercatoweb)
Celtic target Andriy Lunin is vowing to leave Real Madrid in 2024 after becoming frustrated by a lack of first-team football at the Bernabeu. (Marca)
Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric is attracting interest from several clubs including Union Berlin and Sevilla. (Sky Deutschland)
Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus are all interested in Lille centre-back Tiago Djalo, with the former Portugal U21 international becoming a free agent next summer. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
