
Liverpool
Premier League • England
Klopp on red alert as La Liga giants put Liverpool target who is ‘perfect’ for Premier League up for sale

Jurgen Klopp could finally land one of his long-term targets for Liverpool after Spanish giants Atletico Madrid put him on the transfer market, according to a report.
Liverpool have begun their summer transfer dealings with the impressive capture of Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. He has joined Liverpool for just £35million, having previously been valued as highly as £70m.
Mac Allister will help to replace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner. The trio have been confirmed as departing Liverpool once their contracts run out this summer.
However, clearly Mac Allister cannot solve Liverpool’s recent midfield woes all on his own. As such, the Merseyside outfit are in discussions over which midfielders may follow him to the club.
Fabrizio Romano has revealed they are keeping tabs on Celta Vigo ace Gabri Veiga. But right now it is more likely one of Manu Kone or Khephren Thuram will join Klopp’s side.
Klopp could now be given the opportunity to solve two positions at once after it emerged versatile Atleti star Marcos Llorente might be moving on ahead of next term.
READ MORE: Liverpool ‘move on’ from £38m midfield target as Klopp switches focus to two solid alternatives
Llorente came through the Real Madrid academy but then caused a shock by joining their local rivals Atleti in July 2019.
The central midfielder, who can also operate at right-back, has gone on to make 150 appearances under Diego Simeone, registering 21 goals and 23 assists in that time.
Atletico Madrid consider player exit
He was one of Atleti’s best players during their La Liga triumph in 2020-21. However, the Rojiblancos are now open to selling him, according to Spanish source Marca.
Atleti chiefs remain big fans of Llorente, but they need to improve their transfer funds with some player sales this summer and know the Spain international is one of those who will pick up the most interest.
As such, they have made other clubs aware that they will consider suitable offers for him.
Liverpool could soon put themselves at the front of the queue for Llorente as a result. While Llorente has been linked with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea, Liverpool are viewed as his main suitors from England.
In November, the Spanish media suggested Klopp could engineer a double La Liga swoop for Llorente and Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze. Now, it seems the first of those two players is free to join Liverpool.
The report does not mention how much Llorente may cost the Reds. transfermarkt put his value at €35m (£30m), though there are two reasons why the 28-year-old will likely cost far more than this.
The first is his contract with Atleti, which runs until June 2027. This puts Simeone’s team in a strong negotiating position as they are under no risk of him leaving for free any time soon.
Secondly, Atleti view Llorente as being a ‘perfect’ fit for the Prem due to his physicality and versatility. And they will use this as an important part of their discussions with Liverpool in an attempt to get as much money as possible.
Liverpool now have a couple of decisions to make. They must work out whether two new midfielders will be enough to make them a real force again, such as Mac Allister and Kone or Thuram. Alternatively, they might opt to bring in three new midfielders – including Llorente – to truly rival the squad depth that Manchester City have.
Liverpool must also work out how much money they want to spend on revamping their midfield. Llorente may end up proving too costly if Klopp also wants a new centre-back and goalkeeper to join, but only time will tell.