KLOPP’S £150M JIGSAW STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE
Signing of Salah kick-starts Jurgen’s summer spending spree
LIVERPOOL’S £39million fee for Mohamed Salah smashes their previous club record of £35m for Andy Carroll six years ago.
Don’t expect it to stand anywhere near as long, though. In fact it may not even last out this sweltering June. By agreeing to break the bank, the Reds have served notice that the Roma star is the first piece in a summer jigsaw that could cost £150m to assemble. Boss Jurgen Klopp has made it clear he wants at least FOUR key signings this summer, plus lower-profile captures to beef up his squad with a busy season ahead. Klopp has prioritised a centralmidfield controller and a centre-back – and both could cost significantly more than Egyptian Salah. It remains to be seen where the fallout from Southampton’s complaint to the FA leaves the Virgil van Dijk deal but the big Dutchman is still intent on a move to Anfield. Klopp would still love to be able to make up with the Southampton board and put the ‘misunderstanding’ over their interest in Van Dijk behind them by agreeing a £50m fee for the player. If not, then he will probably still have to pay a world-record fee to bring in an alternative, with the likes of Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng (below) and Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) all rated in the same price bracket.
Klopp’s midfield target has remained consistent throughout the summer, with the German boss determined to bring Guinea international Naby Keita to the Premier League.
The African wowed the Bundesliga last season as he helped Red Bull Leipzig to Champions League qualification, and a ruling yesterday confirmed the German club WILL be allowed into that competition despite an ownership conflict with sister club Red Bull Salzburg, who have also qualified.
Leipzig have made clear their determination to hold onto the 22-year-old and getting the green light to compete in Europe’s top competition strengthens their hand.
If the Reds have any chance of prising him away from Germany, then it is likely to set them back at least £50m.
The alternatives are in a similar price bracket. Klopp is an admirer of Leon Goretzka, the youthful German international who inspired his country to a Confederations Cup victory over Australia this week.
But with Bayern keen, too, he will not come cheap.
Those signings alone would take Liverpool’s summer spending beyond £150m but it won’t stop there, with Klopp keen to add further squad players to his capture of Chelsea youngster Dominic Solanke, who will join on July 1.
With Alberto Moreno on his way out of Anfield, Klopp needs a leftback, particularly with Mr Utility James Milner not always convincing in that role. He will not pursue Manchester City target Benjamin Mendy of Monaco and could instead turn his attention to Celtic’s 19-year-old Kieran Tierney, while Hull’s Scotland international Andrew Robertson has also been linked. Klopp could also bring another striker to the club, though that may depend on summer departures, with the future of England man Daniel Sturridge (left) still a subject of debate around Anfield. Liverpool’s Serbia winger Lazar Markovic, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull, is almost certain to leave, with Watford interested.
Two months ago Markovic, who cost Liverpool £20m from Benfica in 2014, accused Klopp of giving up too easily on him.
And French international centreback Mamadou Sakho, who helped Crystal Palace’s survival bid, will also be shipped out this summer.