Liverpool face same problem as Arsenal in pulling off Klopp transfer plan

Salah to miss Liverpool matches after fixtures announced

Liverpool could be dragged into a bidding war for Nice star Khephren Thuram as Jurgen Klopp faces more frustration in his attempts to overhaul his squad this summer. The Reds are facing a delay in their plans to bring in the Frenchman and could regret hesitating over pulling the trigger on the deal, similar to how Arsenal have opened the door for Manchester City to rival them for Declan Rice’s signature.

Liverpool’s ageing midfield was one of several factors that caused the club to endure a rollercoaster of a campaign, failing to finish in the Champions League places but rallying late on to retain a spot on the European stage via the Europa League. And Thuram has been identified as a fresh face to inject some new energy into the team.

There is plenty of room for new arrivals, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita all allowed to leave as free agents to create space. But Klopp’s attempts to finalise their business before the start of the pre-season have proved fruitless so far.

The German has already acquired Alexis Mac Allister and Nice’s Thuram is widely viewed as the next top target. However, according to Nice-Matin, the Reds won’t table an offer for the playmaker for the next few weeks as he is away with the France Under-21s.

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Chelsea and Newcastle have also been linked with Thuram previously, and while the Reds appear confident that they will secure the signature of the 22-year-old if they table an offer, Nice are hoping to spark a bidding war while Thuram is away on international duty, according to Football Insider.

The Ligue 1 club are expected to demand approximately £50million for the services of the No 19, though Liverpool are hopeful of negotiating a deal at a lesser fee. But just like with Rice, they could soon face competition from their Premier League rivals if they do not push through a deal quickly.

Ironically, one of Liverpool’s alternatives to Thuram is also at the Under-21 European Championships. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone is also with the French squad and is among the players being considered to complete Jurgen Klopp’s new midfield trio. And Klopp could be forced to move onto Kone if he ends up being priced out of a move for Thuram with little interest from elsewhere in the 21-year-old.

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Celta Vigo star Gabriel Veiga is also attracting interest from Liverpool, although the Merseyside outfit are one of numerous elite clubs monitoring his situation.

The Spaniard has a release clause of £34m in his contract, which is likely to prove to be a bargain given that he scored 11 and assisted four in 36 La Liga appearances last season aged 21.

Liverpool’s transfer funds won’t be purely invested into their midfield ranks, with a young defender also on their shortlist of targets. Wolfsburg star Micky van de Ven has been linked with a move to Anfield as a result, though he is also away on international duty and therefore unlikely to be pursued until the tournament concludes (or the Netherlands are knocked out).

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