Liverpool round-up: Former player says midfielder wants move; bid for goalkeeper prepared; Wisdom leaves

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Naby Keita is one of Liverpool’s priority targets for the summer and the club have received a huge boost in their chase of the midfielder.

Former Reds’ player Titi Camara has tweeted that the RB Leipzig midfielder wants to leave the German club and that they are now looking for a replacement, according to the Liverpool Echo. The report suggests that a clause in the player’s contract will become active next summer, meaning that he can be purchased for £48 million, but Jurgen Klopp doesn’t want to wait and a larger bid is expected imminently.

Given that Keita is one of the club’s main targets for the summer, this is great news and suggests that a transfer is a real possibility. The figures being mentioned will complicate a deal, as Liverpool will have to pay a club-record fee. However, it is clear that Klopp is desperate to land the midfielder and that means that the club will go the extra mile to ensure it is completed.

Keita is the perfect midfielder for a pressing team and if the Reds manage to sign him, he could be the signing of the summer.

Meanwhile, coming days after Spanish radio station Cadena Cope reported that Liverpool and AC Milan are interested in Sergio Rico, there are further stories linking him to Anfield.

ABC Sevilla now report that the Reds have told Sevilla that they want to open talks over the goalkeeper and that they are keen to get a deal done as soon as possible. The Premier League team are prepared to offer around €12 million to bring him to the North West, but they have no interest in meeting his release clause of €30 million.

A goalkeeper isn’t one of the priorities for Liverpool this summer, but if they are able to bring one in for the right price, it would be a good move for the club. Simone Mignolet and Loris Karius have both had their struggles in England, with neither doing enough to suggest they can be the long-term number one at the club.

The former ended the season strongly, but Klopp won’t be fully convinced by him, which increases the possibility of a move for Rico. The Sevilla goalkeeper has a lot of potential and he is comfortable with the ball at his feet. If they did manage to bring him to Anfield, it has the potential to be a great signing.

One player that is leaving Liverpool during this window is Andre Wisdom. Derby County have completed the signing of the defender on a four-year contract. He is returning to Pride Park after a loan spell with the club during the 2013-14 season. The fee is undisclosed, but it is reported to be £3 million initially.

Player sales are nearly as important as signings, as they provide the budget for incomings. Chelsea have mastered the art as they often sell their unused squad players for large sums thanks to the loan system. Although it is looked down on, it is a strategy that works and Liverpool could learn from that. This is an example of how it could work, as they have brought in a tidy fee for a player that was never likely to feature for the club again.

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