Liverpool ‘ready to present an offer’ for dominant defender Newcastle are ‘insistent’ for

Samuel Bannister 26 Apr 2023 9:10 AM

Liverpool are believed to be preparing an offer to sign Dutch centre-back Perr Schuurs from Torino, but Newcastle have their own plans too, per an update from Italy.

Schuurs has shone since joining Torino from Ajax last summer. The defender now looks ready to take the next step in his career, which could be towards the Premier League. There, Liverpool and Newcastle have long since established themselves as admirers.

At either destination, Schuurs could partner a Dutch compatriot at centre-back. Liverpool have Virgil van Dijk, while Newcastle have Sven Botman.

Whether either of them will be able to sign Schuurs remains to be seen. But it appears they are about to try their luck. According to Calciomercato, the Premier League clubs are ‘ready to present an offer’ for the 23-year-old.

How much either of them would be willing to pay is unclear at this moment in time. However, Torino are hoping to double their money at least, after investing just €9million to sign Schuurs in 2022.

Therefore, it will take a bid of around £16m or more in order to prise Schuurs out of his contract, which is due to last until 2026 (with the option for a further year).

According to the report, Newcastle are ‘insistent’ about signing Schuurs. After all, they want to find a long-term successor to Botman’s current centre-back partner, Fabian Schar.

But Liverpool have identified him as an ideal colleague for Van Dijk – who hasn’t been as dominant as he once was either this season – amid doubts over the futures of Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. Interestingly, the latter has also been linked with Newcastle.

Perr Schuurs proving himself in Serie A

Until the end of the season, both of Schuurs’ suitors will be keeping an eye on his progress in Serie A. So far in his Torino spell, the former Fortuna Sittard youngster has made 27 appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

Among his 24 Serie A outings, he averages 1.9 tackles per 90 minutes, 1.1 interceptions, 3.9 clearances and 1.3 blocks.

Clearly, he has made himself a useful defender for Torino, who are aiming to finish in the top half of Serie A. Perhaps next season, Schuurs could get the chance to express his talents in the Premier League.

If he was to choose Newcastle as his next destination, he would have a good chance of testing himself in the Champions League again. Indeed, they are currently on course for a top-four finish.

Liverpool, on the other hand, are currently seventh in the Premier League table. However, games in hand over fifth-placed Aston Villa and sixth-placed Tottenham could lift them up to Europa League level if all goes to plan.

Perr Schuurs