Report: Liverpool set sights on European semi-finalist midfielder

Liverpool have been linked with a host of midfielders in recent months amid expiring contracts and ageing legs.

The Reds will be eager to strengthen their ranks in the middle of the park ahead of trying to challenge for the title.

Alexis Mac Allister has been heavily linked with a Liverpool move, but other names are doing the rounds.

FootballTransfers claims the Reds have set their sights on AZ Alkmaar’s Tijjani Reijnders.

The 24-year-old ‘features lower down the list’ of Liverpool’s midfield targets.

Orkun Kokcu is also said to be on the Liverpool radar, but the Reds ‘are intent’ on making ‘big purchases’ first.

Liverpool seemingly pulled the plug on a move for Jude Bellingham due to a need for quantity as well as quality.

With that in mind, it makes sense that the Reds are reportedly eyeing several lesser-known players as squad options.

Reijnders has played for AZ for most of his senior career, save for a loan stint at RKC Waalwijk.

He has made 126 appearances for the club, registering a decent 14 goals and 13 assists in all competitions.

Of those, eight goals and 10 assists have come this season alone, as per Transfermarkt.

Reijnders also helped AZ reach the Europa Conference League semi-finals, where they lost to West Ham.

EK Scouting has compared the Dutchman to Leeds United midfielder – and former Bayern Munich man – Marc Roca.

Our view

While Reijnders seems like a decent enough player, would he be a Liverpool-quality player?

After all, he hasn’t won a single cap for the Netherlands, and he has spent most of his career at a fairly modest club.

Admittedly, there have been rumours linking Reijnders with a summer move to Ajax.

That’s promising, as the likes of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven tend to raid the smaller Dutch clubs for their top players.

However, Liverpool and the Premier League are a different kettle of fish to Ajax and the Eredivisie.

At the same time, the Reds should – in theory – be able to pick him up for cheap.

In terms of potential price, Transfermarkt gives a ballpark figure of €8million (around £7million).

As per Salarysport, Reijnders’ wages are £1,600-a-week. Liverpool would have no problem giving him a huge payrise.

Let’s see what happens. Liverpool scouts may well have unearthed a hidden gem and could be landing a huge bargain.

After all, we speak fondly of Liverpool’s £8million outlay for Andrew Robertson from relegated Hull City in 2017.

Who knows, this could well be something similar.