Liverpool Blow As Tottenham ‘Close To Signing’ £15m Target

The January transfer window may have slammed shut but clubs will still be working hard behind the scenes at identifying targets for the summer, so we’ll bring you all the latest news, gossip and rumours. Today, Spurs edge ahead of Liverpool in race for Yevhen Konoplyanka.

Liverpool appear to have been dealt a blow with Dnipro president Ihor Kolomoyskyi claiming that key target Yevhen Konoplyanka is close to joining Tottenham Hotspur, according to Sky Sports News.

Konoplyanka was strongly linked with a £15m move to England during the January transfer window and although Tottenham were reportedly keen, it was Liverpool who came closest to securing his signature after holding lengthy talks with his current club Dnirpo right up until the final hours of deadline day.

While a deal failed to materialise last winter, Brendan Rodgers was expected to renew his interest in the 24-year-old this summer, but it appears the Reds now faces some stiff competition from Spurs with the Ukrainians suggesting the North Londoners are now leading the race for the attackers signature.

Dnipro president Ihor Kolomoyskyi has been quoted as saying that a deal is close to being agreed following talks with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and he would advise Konoplyanka to choose the London-based club over a switch to Liverpool.

“I have contact with the Tottenham president. I am talking with him,”

“He is interested in Konoplyanka. We are in the stage of negotiations and are perhaps close to signing a contract if Yehven agrees.

“I would choose Tottenham – London – not Liverpool. There are matches only once or twice a week, and at other times he will still need somewhere to live.

“I believe London life is preferable to Liverpool.” Kolomoyskyi is quoted as saying by Sky Sports

Liverpool fans were left ruing their failed bid to sign Konoplyanka in January with reports at the time claiming that Kolomoyskyi had refused to sign off the contract after a deal had been agreed.

However, the Dnipro supremo has blamed Liverpool for the collapse of the deal, saying the Merseysiders failed to finalise the transfer due to ‘technical reasons’l, and insists he’d never stand in the players way of sealing a move to the Premier League.

“I talked with Konoplyanka. Of course, he had regrets, but [move to Liverpool] failed purely due to technical reasons,” added Kolomoyskyi.

“I’m ready to let any player leave; we can’t break his sports career. But on the final day, Liverpool failed to do a deal. They failed themselves. It was purely technical reasons.

“I’m ready to let go of any player because we cannot break a career, we cannot break players’ destiny.”

Konoplyanka recently played against Spurs in the Europa League and was hugely impressive, which may just have persuaded them to push for his signature this summer. It appears the North Londoners are now close to doing a deal with Dnirpo and Levy could get his man if the winger agrees the switch.

This news could prompt Liverpool into renewing their interest sooner than perhaps they had planned, although Rodgers may now be revising his summer hit-list with the Reds all-but guaranteed Champions League football next season, so they could have more ambitious targets this summer.

READ MORE –> Liverpool transfer news | Spurs transfer news

Will Liverpool fans be disappointed if they miss out on Konoplyanka? Would Spurs fans welcome his signing? Share your views below.