Liverpool round-up: Isco blow; transfer record set to be smashed; Schalke respond to rumours

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Spanish newspaper Marca claim that attacking midfielder Isco held talks with Liverpool over a potential move to Anfield before changing his mind and deciding to stay at Real Madrid with the Spaniard expected to put pen to paper on a new contract to keep him at the Bernabeu until 2022.

Isco’s existing contract will expire next summer and with game time in short supply for the former Malaga star, it had been rumoured that he may have looked to move elsewhere in order to further his career. Seemingly, Liverpool were one of those options though a move is no longer likely.

However, the Reds are still planning a summer of big spending as the Liverpool Echo report that the club are ready to smash their transfer record, currently standing at £35 million for Andy Carroll in 2011. They say that bosses are preparing an offer worth £50 million for Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk.

The central defender has developed a reputation as one of the Premier League’s best in his position, meaning he could easily justify his fee, and he could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana in making the trip to Merseyside from the south coast.

However, Schalke’s sporting director Christian Heidel has denied speculation linking the club with a move for three players in the ranks of the German side in Sead Kolasinac, Max Meyer and Leon Goretzka. He told Reviersport, as translated by the Liverpool Echo and the Express:

“I happen to know some guy in Liverpool quite well. Jurgen and I have such a good relationship that I have always been in the loop on everything. This time I do not know anything. That means the English media knows nothing either. I do not know who the Liverpool scouts are monitoring. Not even Klopp always knows what they are up to.”

Having signed Joel Matip from Schalke last year, relations between the club seem to be good but it is clear that no move is imminent for any of the three reported targets, including left-back Kolasinac who has been linked with several Premier League clubs over the past few weeks with his contract set to expire in the summer.

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