Last season was not a good one for Liverpool. As defending Premier League champions, they were expected to rival Manchester City in their attempt to defend their title. Instead, after a very good start, they stuttered badly and only in the last match of the season did they manage to retain Champions League football for next season.
This has badly hampered their stature in the transfer market for this season as they are not seen as a destination of choice any longer. A top-two finish in the Premier League for the coming season might change that, but this transfer window will be a struggle.
Donyell Malen possibly out of reach
One of Liverpool’s targets for this window is PSV’s striker Donyell Malen. However, the striker has many options, and according to De Telegraaf, the Anfield outfit has fallen behind Borussia Dortmund in the race for the highly-rated striker. Finding the funds to make this transfer will also not be a problem for the German club, as the Jadon Sancho fee (£73 million) from Manchester United will be burning a hole in their collective back pocket.
As each day rolls on, Liverpool’s chances of acquiring the PSV Eindhoven striker seem to be diminishing more. The former Arsenal youth star, who netted 27 goals last season, would be a very good replacement option for Borussia Dortmund.
Coman a definite possibility
However, all is not lost for Klopp’s men. Danny Ings has refused to sign a contract extension at Southampton, and that could open the door back to Anfield for a former fan favourite. However, an even more interesting possible acquisition could be Bayern Munich’s twenty-five-year-old winger Kingsley Coman. The Frenchman, who spent his formative years in the PSG academy before moving to Inter and now Bayern Munich, will cost Liverpool £43 million as an alternative for Malen.
The player has been in contract negotiations with Bayern Munich for the last couple of months, which thus far have so far failed to produce a resolution. There are two years left on his contract, and it is thought that the France international winger would only extend his contract if his salary was brought on par with Bayern’s top earners. However, as Sport1 reports, Bayern Munich are unwilling to meet his expectations.
Liverpool will not have a problem acceding to his wage request, which has led him to request that his agent start talks with Liverpool about a possible transfer. Liverpool will have to move quickly, though, as it is rumoured that Manchester United are also monitoring the French international.
By :
Steven D. Thompson
