Romano says Liverpool have one day to complete €70m signing after Ornstein confirms meeting
Dominik Szoboszlai has emerged as a transfer target for Liverpool and Newcastle.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed Liverpool must complete the transfer of Dominik Szoboszlai by Friday if they want to sign the midfielder for his release clause of €70m.
Having already completed the signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton for £35m, Jurgen Klopp is desperate to add further midfielders to his squad in a bid to rebuild that area of his team.
Nicolo Barella, Khephren Thuram, Federico Valverde, Manu Kone and Romeo Lavia have all been linked in recent weeks but The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirmed on Wednesday that the Reds are also keen on RB Leipzig’s Szoboszlai.
Ornstein claimed Liverpool are ‘exploring transfer deal’ and ‘met with 22-year-old’s representatives this week with a view to a transfer this summer’.
That comes after a report in German publication Bild claimed that Leipzig’s demands have so far proved ‘too much for Newcastle’ to meet.
Ornstein added that Liverpool acknowledge that a ‘potential deal is complicated’ and ‘will be a very difficult deal to get done’ with it involving ‘a significant financial outlay’.
The Hungary international has a €70m release clause in his contract, but as Fabrizio Romano has revealed, that’s only valid until June 30.
The transfer expert tweeted: ‘Understand release clause for Dominik Szoboszlai is valid until June 30 — and not until July 15. #transfers
‘Release clause available for €70m only in case club submits official bid within June 30. If bid is submitted later, the clause will only be valid for winter window.’
Midfield recruits remain the priority for Klopp and a report that Liverpool are ‘favourites’ to land striker Victor Osimhen from Napoli in a £154m deal have been refuted by journalist Neil Jones.
‘While I don’t like to dismiss stories or talk down what other journalists might be hearing from their sources, I have to say I would be amazed to see Liverpool sign Victor Osimhen, as has been reported elsewhere, or any other striker of that calibre or asking price, for that matter,’ Jones wrote for Caught Offside.
‘Osimhen’s obviously a very good player who’s had a great season, but I just don’t see Liverpool being in the market for that kind of player – they might more likely look for a younger forward as a signing for the future who could grow into being a starter later, but for the first-team I think the focus remains on midfield as a priority, and then beyond that maybe a centre-back.’
