Liverpool transfer blow as ‘Saudi side Al-Hilal close in on £26m swoop for top midfield target’
LIVERPOOL have suffered a transfer blow with Al-Hilal closing in on one of Jurgen Klopp’s top midfield targets, reports suggest.
The Reds are currently undergoing a major revamp in the middle with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain having all departed already after their contracts expired last month.
Fabinho also looks set for a £40million move to Al-Ittihad, while captain Jordan Henderson is poised to rejoin former team-mate Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq.
And it seems like Saudi Arabia is ready to cause the Merseysiders even more grief to their summer plans.
That is because Al-Hilal are close to signing Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Verratti.
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, negotiations between the Saudis and PSG are at an “advanced stage”.
The French champions have previously demanded at least €30million (£26m) for Verratti.
Al-Hilal are offering the midfielder a three-year contract and the necessary paperwork will be prepared soon.
The Italy international has been part of a nine-man shortlist Klopp drew up for reinforcement in the middle of the park.
Reports from France even suggested Liverpool were one of two Premier League clubs that made contact with the Parisians over the 30-year-old.
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The German tactician is also keeping tabs on Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch, Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.
The same goes for Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Nice’s Khephren Thuram.
Liverpool, though, have already recruited in the middle with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.