Liverpool ‘top target’ gives transfer green light but Klopp lines up £114m midfield pair as alternatives
Liverpool have reportedly made Cheick Doucoure their top target in midfield.
Liverpool have reportedly made Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure their ‘top target’ after they failed to acquire Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
The Premier League giants have endured a difficult couple of weeks as they have missed out on Caicedo and Lavia, who will join Chelsea from Brighton and Southampton respectively for a combined fee of around £170m.
Liverpool desperately need to sign a new defensive midfielder who can replace Fabinho and they are moving quickly to get more signings over the line.
VfB Stuttgart captain and utility midfielder Wataru Endo has emerged as a shock target this week and he’s now set to sign for Liverpool in a deal worth £16m.
Liverpool are not stopping there as they are looking for at least one more marquee signing over the next couple of weeks.
The Independent are reporting that ‘Liverpool are stepping up their efforts’ to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Doucoure, who is ‘cheaper than previous targets’.
Doucoure could reportedly be available for ‘under £60m’ and in a huge boost to Liverpool, he is ‘keen’ on the move and ‘personal terms would not be an issue’.
The report added: ‘Liverpool are also looking at Fulham’s Joao Pahlinha and Nice’s Khephren Thuram but the 23-year-old Doucoure is seen as a more viable option to do right now.’
Football Insider are now reporting that ‘Crystal Palace are braced for a bid from Liverpool for midfielder Doucoure’. The report adds.
‘The Eagles are expecting the Merseyside club to submit an offer for the 23-year-old after they expressed interest in recent days.
‘The Reds have stepped up their pursuit of another midfielder signing after Football Insider first revealed they had shortlisted Doucoure as a top target on 17th July.’
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp recently suggested that it is “exciting” that they are heading into the 2023/24 campaign with a “reloaded” squad.
“We don’t have to always say ‘Milner would have said that and Henderson would have said that and Firmino would have smiled here.’ We should not do it like that. That makes no sense,” Klopp said.
“We have this kind of new start with this Liverpool reloaded, it’s an exciting thing. Everybody was asking for changes, rightly so, because we were together for a long time.
“It’s a new chance for everybody, everybody has to step up. We all share responsibility and it’s not that we should give ourselves too much time to grow into it, let’s do it.
“Let’s take the responsibility and go from there and don’t try to be like somebody. Be the best version of yourself and then you have a good chance to help the team in the best possible way.”
