Arne Slot decides to offload Liverpool midfielder, with recent foe among two clubs considering swoop

Arne Slot is willing to offload a Liverpool midfielder before the August 30 deadline and two clubs – one of which have got the better of the Reds this summer – are showing interest, according to reports.

Liverpool’s primary goal this summer was to sign a ball-playing number six. That position is of utmost importance in Arne Slot’s system and the Reds installed Martin Zubimendi as their primary target.

However, Zubimendi reneged on a verbal promise made to Liverpool’s sporting director, Richard Hughes.

Liverpool believed Zubimendi was willing to sign up, though the 25-year-old experienced a last-gasp change of heart and elected to remain with Real Sociedad.

TEAMtalk understands a move for a viable alternative in the form of Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners is being explored.

However, Koopmeiners already has an agreement in place with Juventus on personal terms. Atalanta want more than Juve’s latest bid worth €59m (including add-ons), though the expectation is a deal that sends Koopmeiners to Turin will be finalised.

Liverpool thus appear like they’ll miss out on another midfield target, which makes today’s update regarding Stefan Bajcetic all the more surprising.

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Arne Slot sanctions Stefan Bajcetic exit – report

Bajcetic is a specialist No 6, though does lack first-team experience having seen his development curtailed by injuries in recent times.

According to HITC, Arne Slot has determined Bajcetic will benefit more from a loan spell away rather than playing in Liverpool’s reserves or warming the bench in the first-team.

The decision has therefore been made to sanction an exit and LaLiga pair Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad are interested.

The latter of that pair have successfully retained Zubimendi, much to Liverpool’s dismay. However, they’re on the cusp of selling Mikel Merino to Arsenal. It is Merino’s place that Bajcetic would take.

HITC claim Real Sociedad are weighing up an approach, while Celta Vigo’s manager, Claudio Giraldez, has also confirmed his side are hovering.

“We will see what happens with the market,” Giraldez told El Desmarque before Friday night’s 3-1 victory over Valencia. “But I am clear that, if we get what we want, we will make a hyper-complete team.

“(Signing Bajcetic) is possible, like everyone else. The market is open and it’s another possibility. He’s a player I know, who knows the club, who we’ve trained. And it’s another possibility.

“We’ll see how it goes. I’ll start thinking about the market between games.”

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