Liverpool in battle to land £70m international star as Klopp eyes key signing

Liverpool face a battle with Juventus over the signing of Leicester City star Youri Tielemans as Jurgen Klopp looks to bring in a new midfielder this summer, according to reports in Italy via the Mirror.

Klopp has already snapped up centre-back Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig but is also in the market for a central midfielder to replace Gini Wijnaldum after he joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

Replacing Wijnaldum is seen as a priority at Anfield as the Dutchman’s exit will leave a huge void needing to be filled and Liverpool have been linked with a number of players in recent weeks.

Tielemans has long been touted as a Liverpool transfer target by the media with the Mirror claiming the Reds have held a long standing interest in signing the Belgian international.

The 24-year-old has developed into one of the most complete midfielders in the Premier League since joining Leicester City from Monaco in 2019 and he’s helped the Foxes push for the top four in each of the last two seasons.

Tielemans also played a pivotal role in Leicester City lifting the FA Cup last season after scoring a stunning winning goal in the final during the 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium last month.

The former Anderlecht star has also become a regular for his country and is currently representing Belgium at the European Championships where he helped his team reach the knockout stages with a perfect winning record in Group B.

Tielemans would be a superb signing for Liverpool if they could pull it off but it looks like they could face stiff competition as the Mirror are citing a report that originates from the print version of Corriere Dello Sport that claims Juventus have joined the race for his signature.

The Italian giants would be formidable opposition for Liverpool if they step-up their interest in Tielemans but any deal for either side isn’t going to be easy as Leicester won’t sell without a fight.

According to the Leicester Mercury, Leicester value Tielemans at around £70m despite the fact he only has two years remaining on his contract, so it will cost Liverpool or Juve big money to prise him away from the King Power.

The Foxes are hoping to agree an extension but if Tielemans doesn’t sign a new deal soon, then Liverpool may be quietly confident of driving the asking price down as the midfielder’s value will plummet next summer when he’ll have just 12 months left on his deal.