Liverpool “really keen” on 41-goal youth striker – tracked for “over 2 years”
Liverpool hold long-term interest in a striker making waves in Germany, with the club said to be “really keen” on Mainz youngster Nelson Weiper.
It is an ongoing process for Liverpool’s recruitment staff to track the progress of youngsters across Europe ahead of potential moves.
The majority of those brought into the first team – Alexis Mac Allister, for example – have been followed for many years prior to making the switch to Anfield.
According to German publication BILD, one such player is Mainz striker Weiper, 18, who the club are “really keen” on.
It is claimed that the club have held an interest in the teenager for “over two years” and have already attempted to “lure” him to Merseyside in the past.
Weiper, however, is said to be in no rush to leave Jurgen Klopp‘s former club, having broken through to the senior side last term.
Over the past three seasons at youth level, he has scored 41 goals in 39 games, while following his first-team debut in October he has struck twice in nine appearances.
All of those nine outings came off the bench, and his two goals were scored within eight and six minutes of being introduced against Borussia Monchengladbach and Werder Bremen respectively.
His header against Gladbach made him the youngster goalscorer in Mainz history.
A tall, strong forward eager to press from the front and involve himself in buildup play, Weiper looks to be a hugely promising talent.
Whether he will make the move to Liverpool in the near future remains to be seen, particularly as a €20 million (£17.2m) price tag has been mooted.
More likely is that he remains on the radar ahead of a possible transfer in the future, with scouts monitoring his development at Mainz before weighing up their options further down the line.
However, it is explained that “new requests keep pouring in” from interested clubs, which could prompt Liverpool into action.
Weiper is certainly a name to look out for in the coming months and years, though he should be put into the ‘maybe’ pile, rather than a ‘definite’ transfer.
