Reportedly, Liverpool is actively seeking new midfielders to take over the roles of Jordan Henderson and possibly Fabinho. Liverpool has their sights on Romeo Lavia as their primary midfield target. They are currently engaging in discussions with Southampton regarding the player.
In a column on CaughtOffside, journalist Neil Jones has discussed Liverpool’s renewed pursuit of midfield options. Meanwhile, he asserts that Crystal Palace’s Doucoure appears to be a more attainable target for the Reds than Fulham’s Palhinha.
Jones said: “Joao Palhinha and Cheick Doucoure have been linked, and of those two I think the latter is far likelier.”
“Doucoure is four or five years younger. So given his age and the money sort of money that would be required for these players, I think he clearly looks a more realistic target.”
“He’s had a decent first season in the Premier League. But I still suspect his asking price quoted from Palace sources of £65-70m would be a little high.”
Will Liverpool sign Doucoure from Crystal Palace?
Besides, Liverpool is currently facing a challenging situation due to the Saudi Pro League’s interest in two of their midfield stars. Hence, this development has put the club in a difficult position.
The Reds have already lost several midfielders as their contracts expired. To compensate for these departures, they have made two acquisitions, namely Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Reportedly, Southampton is valuing Lavia at £50 million, while the potential costs for Doucoure and Palhinha are at least £65 million each.
Doucoure is a top talent and gets praise as an “incredibly complete” midfielder. His former colleague Seko Fofana has even described him as “one of the best” teammates he has ever had.
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