Juergen Klopp
Liverpool were linked with a move for RB Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg last month, and that link has grown stronger as the window opens.
The Mirror reports that Jurgen Klopp will target Forsberg after conceding defeat in his attempts to sign Borussia Dortmund’s U.S. international Christian Pulisic.
Liverpool had an £11 million bid for Pulisic turned down over the summer, and he has since established himself as a key part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans but only last month Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said: “It is not worth the effort for Liverpool.”
So now the focus is firmly on 25-year-old Sweden international Forsberg, who has produced a string of fine performances in RB Leipzig’s superb Bundesliga debut season.
Reports in Germany suggest Leipzig would not accept less than £20 million for him.
And although the Bundesliga’s second-placed club are backed by the wealth of Red Bull and have no financial need to sell, they are thought likely to evaluate offers that would allow any of their star players to make career progress.
Meanwhile, a report in The Times that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was “plotting” a £145 million raid on Atletico Madrid to sign Antoine Griezmann and Saul Niguez will not have surprised anyone around the Spanish club, but it seems most likely that Atletico will hold off interest in the pair next summer unless something dramatic happens in the meantime.
France forward Griezmann is among world football’s most sought-after talents after a 2016 which saw him star for club and country and finish third in the Ballon d’Or voting, while homegrown midfielder Saul emerged as a potential superstar with his superb solo goal in last April’s Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich.
Both players would also appear to fit well at Old Trafford — having proven themselves within the demands of Diego Simeone’s Atletico setup. Griezmann’s versatility, pace and work rate would seem tailor-made for a Mourinho team, while Saul’s physicality and ability to get forward from midfield would fit a template dating back to 1980s captain Bryan Robson at least.
United’s interest in Griezmann has been long-standing, and it is easy to see him taking over long-term from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney as the club’s flagship forward. The player himself even said he had asked international colleague Paul Pogba about life in Manchester last autumn.
It does seem only a matter of time before the 25-year-old makes a final step up in his career — and Paris Saint Germain remains another potential destination.
Saul, 22, has also been linked with the Red Devils for some time, with speculation of a move overseen by his agent Jorge Mendes going back to well before Mourinho took charge.
There is however a slight concern over a similarity in style to last summer’s world-record signing Pogba. Both are powerful, athletic figures who can do a job in deep midfield, but prefer to have the freedom to get forward and influence the play in advanced areas.
Atletico have spent the last couple of years preparing for the breakup of their current core players, one of the most successful groups in the club’s modern history. Both Griezmann and Saul ignored interest from many of Europe’s top clubs last summer to sign new contracts with release clauses of €100m and €80m respectively. Those deals run until 2021 and contained significant salary bumps — although the Liga outfit cannot match the terms being offered elsewhere.— ESPNFC.