Liverpool battle Aston Villa and Newcastle for Bundesliga wonderkid
Arne Slot, Liverpool
Liverpool have targeted a Bundesliga wonderkid as one of Arne Slot's first signings, but they could have a transfer battle on their hands.
Slot joins Liverpool from Feyenoord with the daunting task of replacing Jurgen Klopp after the German brought the curtain down on nine trophy-filled seasons at Anfield.
A number of Slot's Feyenoord charges - from striker Santiago Gimenez to goalkeeper Justin Bijlow - have been linked with a move to Liverpool, but the Reds will cast their net wider than the new boss' former employers.
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And Mainz's Germany U21 attacker Brajan Gruda has reportedly been scouted by Liverpool, who are not alone in coveting the player…
Orderly queue for Gruda
"The Germany U21 international is one of the most sought-after talents in Europe,"
report SportBild
, who start by explaining Bayer Leverkusen's interest. "In England, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Newcastle are interested in the midfielder.
"A realistic transfer fee is in the region of €20 million."
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Gruda is currently
valued at just €6.5m by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm
, but his strong end to the Bundesliga season, in which he tallied three goals and two assists after Christmas, should see that climb.
A left-footed right winger who is confident playing across the final third behind a main striker, Gruda also boasted an average of four successful take-ons and six shot-creating actions last term.
Interest in the player perhaps offers a further clue about
Mohamed Salah's future
. Also a left-footed right winger, the Egyptian King is increasingly linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, and now might be the right time to cash in.
Should Gruda indeed end up at Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso, Liverpool could return to their interest in Florian Wirtz.
Another final third operator, Wirtz and his father Hans-Joachim have made clear that he would like to stay at Leverkusen for at least another season, but Gruda's arrival could give Bayer more cover.