Liverpool tipped to complete shock Real Madrid raid for Fede Valverde as Jurgen Klopp makes board request

A bombshell report claims Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of Real Madrid star Federico Valverde and wants Liverpool to break the bank to sign the central midfielder.

Liverpool’s search for a new player to dominate the centre of the pitch is hotting up. Klopp has strong options in midfield, though the likes of Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara aren’t getting any younger.

Henderson is now 32, while Thiago is 31, meaning the Reds will soon need to bring in younger reinforcements.

Liverpool would love to capture England ace Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. But he is a target for plenty of top clubs around Europe and Klopp’s side could therefore end up losing out on him.

Reports have claimed Liverpool to be interested in Sporting Lisbon’s Matheus Nunes as an alternative to Bellingham. But according to The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce, this is ‘nonsense’.

Pearce states the Anfield club have no plans to sign a new midfielder during the current transfer window.

But a big-name signing is likely in 2023, when Henderson and Thiago will be one year closer to hanging up their boots.

And Spanish newspaper Nacional, as cited by the Daily Mirror, suggest Real Madrid’s Valverde is a top target for Liverpool.

Klopp ‘obsessed’ about landing Federico Valverde

It is Klopp in particular who is thought to be pushing for the transfer. He is ‘obsessed’ about signing the Uruguayan and is willing to wait for a Real exit to come about.

Klopp wants the Liverpool board to ‘pay whatever it takes’ to land Valverde. This could result in the club breaking their often stringent transfer rules.

Valverde is a regular in the Real starting eleven. He made 46 appearances last term, helping Los Blancos to win both La Liga and the Champions League.

However, the 24-year-old has recently had to play out of position. Carlo Ancelotti likes to use him at right wing, even though he is usually a central midfielder.

And the report claims Valverde has a troublesome relationship with his manager at the Bernabeu. It’s unclear if this has anything to do with the positional changes. But it does mean Liverpool have a decent chance at signing the player.

There is no mention in the report of how much the 42-cap international would cost.

transfermarkt value him at £63m, while Real only paid £4.5m for him back in summer 2016. Due to this, the Spanish giants will likely make a huge profit if Valverde went to Merseyside.

Valverde signing unlikely

While Valverde would be a top signing for Liverpool, this is a dubious link. Nacional are unlikely to get many exclusives on the Reds, so it’s unclear how they would have gotten this much information on Klopp’s desires.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Pearce came in with another update, this time playing down the Valverde to Liverpool rumours.

Even if the link is true, then it would be advisable for Liverpool to go after Bellingham instead. He is younger than Valverde, has a higher ceiling and already has a great relationship with some Liverpool players due to being in the England setup.

Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been speaking about the players’ role in Liverpool signing Darwin Nunez.