Leeds miss out as Slot sanctions sale of Liverpool midfielder hailed by Klopp as ‘really good’

Liverpool are continuing talks with Red Bull Salzburg over the sale of midfielder Bobby Clark after the Austrian side saw a second offer rejected – but the move is looking increasingly likely to go through, with Leeds among a host of Championship sides set to miss out.

Clark, the son of former Newcastle, Fulham and Sunderland midfielder, Lee Clark, moved to the Liverpool academy in summer 2021 after the Reds agreed to pay the Magpies a development fee of around £1.5m for his services. Signing a five-year deal at Anfield shortly after his 17th birthday in February 2022, Clark is tied to the Merseysiders until summer 2028 after extending his stay with a new deal in December of last year.

However, with competition for first-team places stronger than ever at Liverpool, Clark – still only 19 – has been limited to just 14 senior appearances for the Reds, though just five of those have come in the Premier League.

With a change of manager at Anfield over the summer, Clark might have hoped his fortunes will have improved. However, after missing out entirely on Liverpool’s pre-season fixtures owing to a back injury, the teenage midfielder has now been cleared to leave Anfield by Arne Slot.

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That saw a number of Championship sides linked with his signature, with Leeds, Norwich, Coventry and Sheffield United all expressing an interest in signing the player on a season’s loan.

However, Slot has now taken the decision to move the midfielder on on a permanent basis and negotiations over his sale to Austrian champions RB Salzburg are underway.

Per trusted Liverpool journalist James Pearce, Liverpool have knocked back a second offer from Salzburg for Clark worth €9.6m (£8.2m) on Monday, with the Austrian’s opening offer coming in at just €7m (£6m).

Liverpool transfers: Talks continue over midfielder sale

Indeed, sources have told TEAMtalk that the Reds value Clark in the €14.1m (£12m) bracket, and that talks over a compromise between the Reds and Salzburg continue in the hope of finding a solution.

Clark, for his part, is prepared to make the move, feeling the move to Salzburg – who on Tuesday face FC Twente in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, boasting a 2-1 lead from the first leg – could seriously benefit his career.

Indeed, the Austrian champs have nurtured some serious talents in recent years with Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Erling Haaland, Dominik Szoboszlai, Dayot Upamecano, Marcel Sabitzer and Benjamin Sesko among the big-name stars they have developed in recent years.

And with the possibility of playing UCL football on the agenda, Clark is understood to be keen on making the switch, which would also, of course, see him link back up with former Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders, following his appointment earlier this summer.

That transfer will see the likes of Leeds miss out, though TEAMtalk understands the Whites only explored a potential loan approach to the Merseysiders for the teenager as they looked to cover the losses of Archie Gray and Glen Kamara from their midfield.

Per Pearce, “discussions between the clubs are ongoing” and Salzburg “retain hope that a compromise can be achieved.”

Clark’s exit will follow Fabio Carvalho, who on Monday joined Brentford, while Sepp van den Berg, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon and James McConnell are all in discussions to leave.

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It remains to be seen if Liverpool look to include a future sell-on percentage in Clark’s deal – as they did with Carvalho – while the possibility of a buy-back option cannot also be ruled out.

The exit of the player, though, will be noted by former boss Klopp, who told Amazon Prime in December 2022 that Clark was “another famous name in England, and the kid is a really good player as well”.