Transfer Gossip: Liverpool planning £150m raid for Premier League duo to completely transform Klopp’s midfield; Leeds plotting shock return for club legend
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is eyeing a £150m double deal that would completely transform his struggling midfield engine room, while Sunday’s Transfer Gossip claims Leeds are plotting a surprise return for a huge Elland Road fan favourite.
KLOPP EYEING HUGE MIDFIELD DOUBLE DEAL
Liverpool could be eyeing a £150million double raid on one of their Premier League rivals, according to reports from Italy on Sunday.
Calciomercato claims that the Reds have a ‘double objective’ to sign Brighton midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo but will not find it easy to seal their transfers.
The reports states that Argentine World Cup winner Mac Allister will cost in the region of €75m (£66.1m), while his fellow South American is rated at a whopping £90m.
Indeed, Caicedo was the subject of significant interest from a number of clubs in the January window. However, he eventually ended up penning a lucrative new deal on the south coast.
But Calcio adds that if Liverpool are to actively pursue the Brighton stars to transform Klopp’s aging midfield then it could cost them up to £150m.
As a duo, the Seagulls stars would bring a bit of everything to the Reds’ engine room.
Brighton duo could big impression at Anfield
As per Sofascore, they won a combined seven tackles and 13 duels in the 3-3 draw at Anfield in October, with Mac Allister completing all three of his dribbles on the day.
The duo also stood out again in Brighton’s 3-0 win over Liverpool at the Amex Stadium in mid-January.
They won four tackles and 11 duels, completing 136 passes and both posting a 100% dribble success rate.
Revamping his midfield is known to be Klopp’s top priority this summer, but getting one of Brighton’s top stars will be hard enough let alone two.
LEEDS WANT PHILLIPS BACK AT ELLAND ROAD
Leeds are reportedly interested in re-signing club legend Kalvin Phillips in the summer, just a year on from his move to Manchester City.
The 27-year-old moved to The Etihad in a £42million switch last summer but has yet to start a single Premier League games for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Injuries and fitness have played a role in his lack of game time, with Pep Guardiola questioning the player’s conditioning after he returned from the winter World Cup.
And it was revealed last month that West Ham are considering Phillips as a replacement for the unsettled Declan Rice.
But now an exclusive report in the Daily Star states that Elland Road chiefs want to re-sign the 27-year-old.
Leeds actually tried to bring Phillips back on loan in January but City rejected that approach.
The defensive midfielder made 214 league appearances for his local club and was a surprising starter for England in their historic win in Italy on Thursday evening.
However, Phillips knows he needs to be playing regularly if he wants to retain his place in Gareth Southgate’s side going forward.
But the big question for Phillips is whether he can convince Guardiola that he deserves an extended run for City.
If that is not the case then the former Elland Road favourite could well be up for grabs come the summer.
MOYES MOVES FOR COVENTRY HOTSHOT
West Ham boss David Moyes is ready to make a move for talented Coventry star Viktor Gyokeres after making a personal check on the striker.
The Sun reports that Moyes made a solo mission to watch the Swede last week and has earmarked a summer swoop for the player as he targets a more consistent frontman at the London Stadium.
Gyokeres is having his best season so far with 18 goals for the high-flying Sky Blues in the Championship.
The 24-year-old, is who is rated at £20million, also had a runout off the bench for Sweden in their 3-0 loss to Belgium on Friday evening.
Gyokeres is close to becoming a starter for his country and a move to the Premier League, if Coventry fail to go up, will certainly aid that dream.
The forward spent four seasons at Brighton without making a Premier League appearance before joining the Sky Blues in the summer of 2021 after an initial loan stint.
The Hammers are not the only club keen on his signature though, with Brentford and Leeds previously linked while Burnley, who are on the brink of a Premier League return, tipped to make a bid.
As for West Ham’s current striking options, Michail Antonio could leave this summer with Everton considering a move.
Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca is also yet to settle, leading Moyes to turn to other options in his search for a regular goalscorer at the London Stadium.
