Liverpool transfer news: Virgil van Dijk picks Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool transfer news: Swap deal for Van Dijk and Sakho?

28 March

Chelsea's decision to drop their interest in Virgil van Dijk and concentrate on signing Kalidou Koulibaly has allowed Liverpool to dream that they'll land the Dutch defender in the summer.

The Reds have been ardent admirers of the Southampton blocker for a while but they had resigned themselves to losing out to the Premier league leaders. However, the Daily Star reports that Blues boss Antonio Conte now has eyes only for Napoli centre-back Koulibaly and, as a result, Jurgen Klopp will swoop for the 25-year-old Van Dijk when the summer transfer window opens.

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And might there be a swap in the pipeline? According to The Sun Liverpool "outcast" Mamadou Sakho is wanted by Southampton, and could be key to a deal for Van Dijk. However, the paper warns that Napoli are also making enquiries about the fiery Frenchman.

Currently on loan at Crystal Palace, Sakho is unlikely to ever grace the Anfield turf again after falling out with Klopp on last summer's tour of the US, and The Sun says the Reds "are confident they can recoup more than the £18m he cost them from Paris Saint-Germain". Palace paid Liverpool a £2m loan fee for the defender but they have no first refusal option on him and consequently the Reds hope a bidding war will break out in the summer between the Saints and Napoli.

Elsewhere and the Daily Express says that Liverpool are "in the driving seat to snap up" Real Madrid ace James Rodriguez. Although he's widely expected to leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season, the smart money in recent weeks had said Manchester United would land the Colombian playmaker. But apparently the Reds have been working hard behind the scenes to facilitate a deal and Klopp is quietly confident he'll win the race to Rodriguez's hand.

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Liverpool transfer news: Jose Gimenez and Michael Keane to boost defence

24 March

Liverpool's defence has been the main problem this season but Jurgen Klopp believes he has found a player to bolster his back four in the summer.

According to the Daily Mirror the Reds are zeroing in on Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez, although they will have to brace themselves for competition from Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho is known to be an admirer of the 22-year-old, but Klopp is determined to sign Gimenez and the Mirror predicts the result could be a "bitter" summer transfer war between Liverpool and United.

The dynamic Uruguayan is said to be keen to leave Madrid because he can't get into the starting line-up ahead of Diego Godin and Stefan Savic. But Gimenez won't come cheap with Spanish reports saying that he has a £39m buyout clause that Atletico Madrid intend to stick to.

Meanwhile the Daily Mail says that Liverpool are "stepping up" their pursuit of Burnley centre-back Michael Keane after his impressive performance on his England debut against Germany on Wednesday. Klopp has been tracking the 24-year-old defender for a while, as have Everton, but the Mail claims that the Reds are poised to strike first.

Burnley are resigned to losing Keane in the summer but they'll hold out for the highest fee, "which is expected to push the price to more than £20m".

Liverpool transfer news: Barcelona battle over Dembele and Coutinho

20 March

Klopp wants young Dortmund striker and faces a fight to keep playmaker - all the latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip

Jurgen Klopp is refusing to call off the chase for Ousmane Dembele, reports the Daily Mirror, with the paper stating that the Reds manager is still hopeful he can pip Barcelona to the hand of the 19-year-old frontman.

Dembele has been doing great things with Klopp's former club Borussia Dortmund this season, and the German hopes his contacts at the Bundesliga outfit might work in his favour when the summer transfer window opens. Barcelona have long been linked with the France international but Klopp is determined to sign two young strikers who he can develop in the coming seasons and Dembele is one of them.

But Dembele is not the only option, the Mirror claims that Nottingham Forest's 17-year-old forward, Ben Brereton, "is also on Klopp's radar".

Talking of Barcelona, the Daily Star digs up the rumours once more linking Philippe Coutinho to the Spanish giants with the paper claiming they see the Brazilian "as their perfect replacement for Andres Iniesta".

The veteran playmaker is rumoured to be running down the weeks until he leaves the club and apparently Barca have drawn up a shortlist with Coutinho's name at the top followed by those of Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Marco Verratti and Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara.

Liverpool transfer news: Chase for Riyad Mahrez is on

16 March

Now that Leicester have rediscovered their mojo following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, their players are once more being eyed up by Europe's gilded elite. According to Talksport, Liverpool and Juventus are both trailing Foxes midfielder Riyad Mahrez, whose is slowly getting back to the form he showed last season when his 17 goals helped Leicester to the Premier League title.

The Foxes are now in the quarter-final of the Champions League and Mahrez has caught the eye of Juventus, who are expected to make a move for the Algeria international at the end of the season. The Reds, however, may have a thing to say about that with Talksport claiming that manager Jurgen Klopp is "keen to add the Algerian to his squad in the summer", despite the fact he has three years to run on his Leicester contract.

Meanwhile the agent of Marko Grujic has said his client will not be leaving Liverpool this summer, despite claims to the contrary. The 20-year-old Serbian midfielder has struggled with injuries this season and has seen just 28 minutes of action in the Premier League, prompting Dinamo Zagreb official Zdravko Mamic to boast of his wish "to get Marko Grujic from Liverpool on loan".

When told of the outlandish claim, Grujic's agent, Zoran Stojadinovic, laughed off the idea: "It is simply a waste of words," he said. "I am surprised. I don't know why [Dinamo advisor Zdravko] Mamic is talking about Gruijic coming to Dinamo. He may as well say 'we want Messi!'"

Liverpool transfer news: Chelsea complicate Talisca hunt

14 March

Liverpool could have a fight on their hands to sign Anderson Talisca, reports Talksport, as the transfer roundabout creaks into action.

The Reds are keen on Benfica striker, currently on loan at Besiktas, but apparently Lazio "will move" for the Brazilian forward should they offload Keita Balde this summer.

Chelsea have been linked with Balde in recent weeks and the Blues reportedly the "frontrunnners" to sign the Ivorian star, which is bad news for Liverpool.

The 23-year-old Brazilian sharpshooter has scored seven goals in 14 league appearances on loan in Turkey so far this season and Jurgen Klopp is believed to have sent his scouts to check out the progress of Talisca. But Talksport says it now looks as though the Reds will face "stiff competition" from Lazio.

The Reds are also facing problems in Germany, where the Daily Mirror says RB Leipzig are putting up fierce resistance as Liverpool continue to make advances towards Naby Keita.

The paper claims that Liverpool "are eyeing up a move for the 22-year-old", while there is also rumoured to be interest from Bayern Munich, but a Leipzig official is quoted telling the Mirror that the midfielder, who joined the club last summer on a four-year deal has "no release clause in his contract".

Liverpool transfer news: Oxlade-Chamberlain tops wanted list

13 March

Jurgen Klopp will have £150m to spend this summer, with Williams, Bakayoko and Van Dijk all targets – Liverpool transfer news and gossip.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has put Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the top of his summer shopping list, reports Metro, with the paper saying the 23-year-old "is one of four of Liverpool's key transfer targets this summer".

Apparently the Reds boss will given a £150m war chest to ensure there is no repeat of this season's mid-term implosion, which has cost the Merseyside club any chance of landing their first league title since 1990.

Metro says that Klopp will dip into the chest to snap up unsettled Gunners wideman Oxlade-Chamerlain, who is valued at £25m, and has in recent weeks also been linked to Manchester City.

As for the other names on Klopp's wish list, Metro says he intends to make a play for Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams, who comes in at £43m, as well as Monaco's muscular midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, and Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who will only be sold by Southampton if a bid in the region of £50m is tabled.