Liverpool have expressed interest in signing highly rated German starlet Niko Ilicevic from Eintracht Frankfurt, according to TEAMtalk.
Frankfurt under Markus Krösche have earned a reputation for unearthing and developing some of the most exciting talents that have gone on to play for some of the biggest clubs across Europe.
In recent years, they have developed and sold the likes of Paris Saint-Germain’s William Pacho, Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike, Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, Bayern Munich’s Nathaniel Brown, Juventus’ Randal Kolo Muani and several others, including former Borussia Dortmund and West Ham United star Sébastien Haller.
On the other hand, the likes of Dortmund’s Emre Can and Como’s Marc Oliver Kempf are some of the biggest names that came directly through Frankfurt’s youth setup before moving elsewhere.
The latest name that could ply a similar route is highly rated attacking midfielder Ilicevic, who has been described as ‘the best talent in Germany’s 2010 generation’.
In the ongoing campaign, he has netted three goals and provided three assists in just six games in the U19 DFB Nachwuchsliga, which has put him on the radar of several clubs.
One of the clubs eyeing a move for Ilicevic is Liverpool, according to TEAMtalk, which claims that the Reds have expressed interest in signing the 15-year-old.
‘Outstanding’ attacker
It appears the club are already stepping up efforts to sign him, with the report adding that the Merseyside club have been tracking the youngster ahead of a potential swoop.
However, Liverpool are set to face fierce competition from several clubs, including Bournemouth, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle United, in the race for the German attacker, as per the report.
Liverpool have continued to balance immediate first-team recruitment with a longer-term plan centred on identifying and nurturing promising youngsters during recent transfer windows.
Rio Ngumoha was among the notable additions, arriving from Chelsea, while Senegalese talent Mor Talla Ndiaye and pre-season standout Ifeanyi Ndukwe also became part of the club’s plans in January.
The Reds further strengthened their youth ranks last summer by bringing in several highly rated prospects, including Colombian youngsters Samuel Martinez, Lucca Brughmans, Djylian N’Guessan and Michael Mulholland.
Described as ‘outstanding’ by Football Talent Scout-Jacek Kulig, Iličević would be another exciting addition to the club’s increasing pool of prospects for the future should they beat competition from other clubs to sign him
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