Liverpool target £210m Prem trio as panicking Klopp turns to stars of Fulham, Man City and Crystal Palace
Fulham's Joao Palhinha is Liverpool's new top target
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has reportedly drawn up a six-man midfield wanted list following the failure to land Romeo Lavia – with Fulham star Joao Palhinha placed right at the very top.
The Reds are desperate to add new midfielders to their mix after losing six players in their engine room this summer. And while the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were planned for, the exits of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson caught the Merseysiders cold.
Two deals were quickly done in the form of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. However, adding a third new name to the mix has proved problematic for the Reds.
To that end, Chelsea have beaten Liverpool to two top targets. First up, Moises Caicedo has opted to sign for the Blues after they struck a British record deal of £115m. And that will soon be followed up by the signing of Romeo Lavia in a £58m package from Southampton.
Reasons for the Belgian’s decision to reject Liverpool have been explained in this bruising article.
It all means Liverpool are now scrambling around to add new recruits with the close of the window in sights. The Merseysiders have a little over two weeks now to bring in at least one, and hopefully two, new additions for midfield.
And according to the Daily Mail, Liverpool now have six players on that shortlist of targets.
Per the report, Klopp’s wanted list is topped by Fulham battler Palhinha. The Portuguese star moved to Craven Cottage last summer in a bargain £20m move from Sporting Lisbon. The Premier League’s top tackler last season, Palhinha made a massive impact as Marco Silva’s side secured a top-half finish.
READ MORE: Jamie Carragher brands Liverpool ’embarrassing’ as another top target slips though the net
Palhinha price tag a concern for Liverpool
Fulham have already seen off strong interest this summer from West Ham in the 28-year-old.
Their asking price of ‘at least £60m’ was deemed too much for the Hammers, who instead moved to sign both Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse.
Given the ages of all three players and the price tags concerned, few could question West Ham’s judgement.
However, Liverpool’s need is now approaching desperation level. As a result, and while they are wary of Fulham’s valuation, the Mail suggests the 21-times capped Portugal star is now Klopp’s new top fancy.
Furthermore, such has been the inflation for the game’s top midfielders over the past year and the lateness in the window for an approach, Liverpool could be bracing themselves for a potential £90m demand to sign Palhinha.
At 28-years-of-age, however, Liverpool would have to deviate from their usual transfer policy to sign the star.
And should that price be deemed too costly for the Reds, the report claims Klopp and Co have five other options in mind.
As a result, they could go back in for England star Kalvin Phillips, who has found game-time limited at Manchester City.
Indeed, he was restricted to just 291 minutes of Premier League football during his first season at the Etihad.
And with Klopp a long-term admirer of the former Leeds man, it’s suggested Liverpool could make an approach to City to see if there is any possibility of his sale. City, should they decide to sell, are likely to demand at least £50m.
A third Premier League star in Cheick Doucoure is also back in Liverpool’s thinking. The former Lens man joined the Eagles in a £18m move last summer and caught the eye as he was named Crystal Palace’s Player of the Year. Tied to Selhurst Park for four more years, the Malian would not come cheap, carrying a £70m asking price.
Liverpool also eyes three overseas stars as part of six-man wishlist
Should the £210m-rated trio prove out of reach, Klopp is also being linked with moves for three stars from overseas.
First up, the Mail claims Liverpool are keeping a close eye on developments surrounding Sofyan Amrabat. The Moroccan is likely heading to Manchester United this summer, though Klopp also has a long-standing interest. And should United either fail to strike a deal or pass up a chance, Klopp could yet look to bring the Fiorentina man to Anfield.
In addition, Liverpool are also exploring the possibility of rekindling a move for Nice’s Khephren Thurman. The France midfielder has been widely scouted by the Reds, with the 22-year-old figuring highly on their list of targets earlier this summer. Their interest in him subsequently cooled as more efforts were put into both Lavia and Caicedo.
However, a fresh move could soon be launched in the wake of those failures. Manchester United are also reportedly keen, with the player likely to cost around £50m.
And finally, Liverpool will also reportedly look to push through the signing of Fluminese wonderkid Andre.
The Brazilian side are resigned to losing the talented star this summer with Liverpool among his suitors. A fee of around £25m has been suggested for the 22-year-old, who has been capped once by his country.
Speaking about Liverpool’s need for midfield recruits, Klopp came clean on their desperate search prior to the draw at Chelsea.
However, the Reds boss is also looking to utilise two of his younger talents more often in the coming weeks.
“It’s not surprising we are looking for that position,” he said. It’s clear and would be great if we could do something but for now we can do a lot of things.”
Talking tactics, he added: “We can play a double six or double pivot as well and Stefan [Bajcetic] is coming back. He played that position exceptionally well so we have options, we have Curtis [Jones], we can adapt the system and have options. But yeah it would be absolutely great if we could [sign new players].”
