Liverpool can solve issues with bargain deal for Marcelo Brozovic
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It is no great secret that Liverpool will likely be dipping into the transfer market for a new midfield lynchpin when the bidding opens at the end of the campaign. The Reds have struggled in the centre of the pitch all season long and could soon be poised to lose as many as four of their existing stars, with the contracts of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set to expire in the summer.
Arthur Melo will also be departing at the end of his season-long loan deal, which will leave Liverpool in need of some extra bodies in midfield as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign at the next time of asking. They could do far worse than to pursue one of their previous targets in the form of Inter Milan ace Marcelo Brozovic, who is said to be keen on leaving the San Siro in search of a new challenge later this year.
That’s according to Sport, who claim that Brozovic has already ‘made a decision’ to call time on his spell at Inter in advance of next season. Several high-profile clubs are said to be monitoring the situation closely, including the likes of Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, but it would be surprising if Liverpool pass up the opportunity to move for such an important player given their situation in the middle of the park.
Brozovic, who remains under contract at AC Milan until the summer of 2026, was previously linked with a move to Liverpool back in 2020 but to no avail. They held talks with the 30-year-old’s agent in the hope of bringing him to Anfield, according to Libero, and were seemingly prepared to match his existing release clause of around £52million in order to get the deal done.
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Nothing ever materialised from the situation, though, with Brozovic ultimately staying at Inter in spite of Liverpool’s advances. It remains to be seen if things would be different if Klopp sanctions a move for the Croatian playmaker in the near future, with his desire to leave Italy able to stand the Reds in good stead to fight for his signature at the end of the current season.
A move for Brozovic would go a long way to improving Liverpool’s ranks in the engine room, although they could decide to shelve the idea of snapping him up in order to hasten their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund maestro Jude Bellingham. The latter is said to be at the very top of Liverpool’s summer wishlist and would be a brilliant long-term investment for the club, but Dortmund are unlikely to sell for anything less than a nine-figure fee and Brozovic could be signed for around half the price if his release clause is paid in full.
The Inter man has proven that he remains fully capable of dictating matches in spite of his age by excelling for Croatia at last year’s World Cup with an impressive pass completion rate of 88 per cent. He has started just 11 games in all competitions at club level this season, though, and it would make perfect sense for him to join a side crying out for a player of his mould as he looks to gain regular first-team minutes elsewhere.
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Liverpool would appear to be the perfect fit for Brozovic when the transfer market re-opens at the end of the season, but only time will tell how the situation will play out between now and the start of the following campaign. He is just one of several big names to have been linked with the Anfield club over the last few months and former Reds ace Steve Nicol believes that his old side should pursue the free signing of Chelsea hero N’Golo Kante instead.
“If I am a coach of the best team on the planet, and he’s [Kante] available, then I want to sign him,” Nicol told ESPN last month. “There are certain things that you take a chance on in football, and this is one of them.
“You know exactly what you are getting when he is fit. You know you are getting a player, a gentleman and an experienced winner. He’s the whole package. The nicest guy in the world. Fantastic in the dressing room. You are getting everything.”
However, it seems likely that the injury-prone Kante could yet stay at Chelsea, and so Brozovic might be the ideal target for Liverpool in midfield as they look to strengthen their ranks ahead of next season.
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