Liverpool make Leverkusen star 'one of their priorities', Alonso is 'doing everything possible' to stop a move
Liverpool are still pushing to sign their first new player of the summer transfer window.
Liverpool may have drawn a line under their pursuit of a new midfielder but they remain active in their search for other players. After failing to agree terms with Martín Zubimendi, several sources reported that the Reds had ended their interest in bolstering the engine room.
Paul Joyce first reported that Liverpool would not be seeking an alternative to Zubimendi, and Football Insider followed up with the news that the club will be waiting until January to revisit this particular focus. Instead, a lot of spotlight has been on their interest in goalkeeper Giorgio Mamardashvili from Valencia.
Football Insider also claims that the two parties have reached an ‘agreement in principle’ for the Georgian goalkeeper, who will become Liverpool’s first signing of the summer if all goes well. However, there is another target on the radar for the Reds are pushing to sign before the window closes next week.
According to Fichajes, Liverpool are now showing ‘firm interest’ in Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié as Arne Slot and co have identified him as ‘one of their priorities’ to bolster their options at the back. The 22-year-old has caught the eye of Liverpool, who are hoping to beat Atlético Madrid to Hincapié’s signature.
The La Liga side have only recently entered the picture and are ready to challenge to strike a deal, however, the Reds are ‘in a decisive position’ and are hoping to snap up Hincapié before the summer window slams shut.
The centre-back has been a target for Liverpool for a while now and back in January, they learned that Leverkusen would be looking for a fee in the region of €55 million (£47m) to let Hincapié leave. Since then, other clubs have registered their interest in the Ecuador international, including Tottenham Hotspur, who have also held a long-standing desire to sign Hincapié.
Last January, Bild reported that Spurs had made a proposal of €25 million (£21m) to try and bring Hincapié to North London. Obviously, no deal came to fruition and since then, his presence at Leverkusen has only grown. Manager Xabi Alonso has ‘made it clear’ that he wants to keep Hincapié at the club, as he sees the defender as ‘a crucial pillar’ for his team.
The former Liverpool midfielder is ‘doing everything possible’ to try and prevent a Hincapié exit this summer but if the right price comes along, Leverkusen may have no choice but to cash in. The Black and Reds stormed to an historic first ever Bundesliga title last season, finishing a whopping 17 points clear of runners-up VfB Stuttgart.