Why Liverpool should consider £99 million Premier League star after club's FFP decision

The January transfer window is still open but Liverpool are already looking ahead to what the summer could bring. The Reds are expected to lose a few key players at the end of the season and in order to avoid a repeat of last year with their midfield exodus, future targets are already being earmarked.

A lot of players have been linked with a switch to Anfield since last summer. While Jurgen Klopp was successful in bringing four new recruits over the threshold, a lot of other links did not come to fruition. One man who was on the radar was Newcastle United's Bruno Guimarães, and a new update on his future will certainly have interested clubs sitting forward in their seats.

According to a report from AS, the Brazilian has been attracting a lot of attention and an exit could be looming following a recent decision related to Financial Fair Play. Guimarães is one of the players to have been 'chosen by the board' for Newcastle to offload in order to 'settle accounts' and make back some cash.

Paris Saint-Germain have been 'bidding the most' for his services but other clubs have also been sniffing around in recent months. Last summer, Liverpool and Chelsea were 'most interested' in Guimarães but nothing materialised. However, this could change at the end of the season now Newcastle have essentially transfer listed their midfield star.

Another boost that could tempt clubs to come in for the 26-year-old at the end of the season is how they can approach buying him from the Magpies. While his release clause is set at a hefty €115 million (£99m), the report claims that this payment could be split into three instalments of €38 million (£33m), meaning Liverpool would only have to pay a third of his overall transfer fee this summer, if they were to bring him to Anfield.

The Reds will need to act fast though. Talks between Guimarães and Barcelona have reportedly been 'going on since the beginning of the year' but a formal offer is yet to be tabled. Klopp brought in four very strong midfield recruits just months ago but they have remained linked to another.

Guimarães would certainly be a solid option in this Liverpool side and the no-nonsense midfielder has a similar game attitude to Fabinho, who the Reds are still yet to fully replace. While he does enjoy getting involved in the goalscoring action, Guimarães is a defensive midfielder by trade and is always throwing his body on the line to break up play and win the ball back. He is undoubtedly one of Newcastle's most important players, so their willingness to sell him is another hurdle the Reds won't have to figure a way over.

Wataru Endō has also shown these characteristics and is starting to really settle in at Anfield, but depth is a very important asset. Endō is currently the only natural and fit No.6 on Klopp's roster, so some friendly competition for the starting spot could be an interesting notion.

Plus, Liverpool wouldn't need to fork out huge money all in one go, as the openness to an instalment-based payment method is very budget friendly. If the Reds are serious about signing a quality new defensive midfielder in the summer, they've got a very good opportunity staring them in the face.