Pep Lijnders targets transfer reunion with rising Liverpool star as triple Anfield exit takes shape

Pep-Lijnders-Vitezslav-Jaros

Pepijn Lijnders is set to take over at RB Salzburg this summer and he already has plans to bring one of his former Liverpool players along with him.

Lijnders has spent the bulk of his coaching career at Anfield, working alongside Jurgen Klopp as his assistant manager. Soon after Klopp announced his departure, Lijnders also announced his departure to pursue his own managerial career.

In May, the Netherlands coach signed on as the new RB Salzburg with a contract which is valid until the summer of 2027.

“This is a real privilege for me,” Lijnders said upon taking the job. “After PSV Eindhoven, Porto and Liverpool, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.

“I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.”

It’s previously been claimed that Lijnders wants to sign Conor Bradley on loan next season, although with Liverpool set to offer him a new bumper contract, it seems unlikely that they will loan him out.

While a move for Bradley seems unlikely at this stage, Lijnders reportedly has his eyes set on signing another Liverpool youngster.

Lijnders wants to sign promising goalkeeper

According to Salzburger Nachrichten, Lijnders is keen on bringing Liverpool shot-stopper Vitezslav Jaros with him to Austria.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper spent the second half of last season on loan with Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz and impressed during that time.

As per reports, Jaros is being ‘highly sought after’ by Lijnders who is keen to bring the young goalkeeper with him to RB Salzburg.

The Austrian club puts a strong emphasis on developing young players, so it makes sense that they are targeting someone like Jaros who has plenty of potential.

While he’s yet to make a senior appearance for Liverpool, he has enjoyed four separate loan spells away from the club with the likes of St Patrick’s Athletic, Notts County, Stockport County and Sturm Graz.

The Czech Republic youngster only has one year remaining on his contract at Liverpool and if he doesn’t feature in Arne Slot’s long-term plans, a move this summer could be on the cards.

Triple Liverpool exit on the cards?

With Jaros potentially on his way out of Liverpool, the Reds could be left short of options in the goalkeeping department.

The club have offered Adrian a contract extension, but the 37-year-old has been tipped to turn it down in order to return to his former club Real Betis.

It’s also been well-documented that Caoimhin Kelleher faces an uncertain future at the club as he is keen to play regular first-team football.

The likes of Celtic and Wolves are both interested in the Republic of Ireland international, but Liverpool aren’t willing to sell him on the cheap.

According to Liverpool journalist David Lynch, the Reds could demand as much as £30m for the 25-year-old this summer.

“The way it was put to me is that anything between £15-20 million is nowhere near the mark. It’s going to have to be well in excess of £20 million,” Lynch told the Media Matters podcast.

“I think we’re looking close to £25-30 million for him and justifiably so, when you look at some of the moves like James Trafford for £19 million when he only had experience in League One.

“As much as Liverpool don’t want to stand in his way, they also shouldn’t be giving him away.”

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