Liverpool ‘keen’ on bold £80m transfer after ‘rejecting’ chance to complete midfield deal

The majority of Liverpool stars have now returned for pre-season training as preparations for the new campaign begin.

The Reds will be hoping to go one better in the Premier League title race this season after narrowly missing out in the campaign just gone.

In a bid to ensure that fate, Liverpool have snapped up Darwin Nunez on a big-money deal from Benfica, replacing the outgoing Sadio Mane.

And we have also seen the additions of Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay, with plenty of time still remaining in the summer window.

Here we round up all the latest transfer news and rumours surrounding Anfield.

Bellingham interest

Reports in Italy are claiming Liverpool are ‘determined’ to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

The Reds are going to need to freshen up their midfield in the coming years, and La Gazzetta Dello Sport are saying Bellingham will be the priority next summer.

The report claims Liverpool are aware the England international is Jurgen Klopp’s preferred option and that they will attempt to sign him next summer to keep their manager happy.

The problem is Bellingham is likely to cost around £80million.

De Ligt links

Speaking of pricey transfers, it’s claimed Juventus are hoping to garner interest from Liverpool in a player who has been linked with a move to Anfield in the past.

Matthijs de Ligt has been linked with a move to the Reds previously, and Corriere dello Sport say Juve are hoping to get the Merseyside giants involved in a bidding war with Chelsea.

Juve are hoping to get £85m for the Dutch defender, though Liverpool are very unlikely to spend that much on a defender this summer, while the Blues are looking to replace the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, both of whom left the club to move to La Liga with Real Madrid and Barclona respectively.

Phillips opportunity

Liverpool are said to have rejected the chance to sign Manchester City signing Kalvin Phillips earlier this summer, before he sealed his big money move to the Etihad Stadim.

According to National News Sport via SportBible, the Reds were offered the opportunity to snap up the former Leeds United midfielder this summer.

But they decided to pass on the opportunity due to Klopp wanting to wait until next summer to address his midfield’s future.