Major stumbling block holding up second Liverpool defender deal revealed
Liverpool will reportedly seek to land a Ligue 1 defender before Monday’s 11pm deadline, though a major hurdle has put the deal in jeopardy.
Liverpool are aiming to address their mounting injury crisis at the back with a pair of defensive deals.
A budget move for Preston centre-back Ben Davies has been lined up, with a £2m fee reportedly agreed.
Youngster Sepp Van den Berg would move in the opposite direction on loan, but the action may not stop there.
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool have ‘made an approach’ for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.
The 24-year-old Croatian has been a capable performer in France since his £16m move from Red Bull Salzburg in 2018.
The player reportedly became the subject of interest from West Ham last summer, but rejected their advances in the hopes of being able to secure Champions League football elsewhere.
Caleta-Car has reportedly ‘agreed to come’ to Liverpool, though a crucial step must first be overcome.
Marseille will not sanction a deal unless first able to find a suitable replacement
Despite this late twist, Klopp is described as ‘hoping a deal for Caleta-Car can still be salvaged’.
Neymar urges Mbappe to snub Liverpool
Meanwhile, Neymar admits he now feels much happier at Paris Saint Germain and has urged Kylian Mbappe to sign a new deal at the club.
Neymar, 28, made a shock move to the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2017. The Parisians paid Barcelona €222 million for the Brazil forward.
It has not been all plain sailing in the French capital, with problems on and off the pitch. He has suffered a few nasty injuries while clashing with his own and opposition players.
But the South American continues to score goals, with 83 from 101 appearances in all competitions. Mbappe moved to PSG from Monaco in the same transfer window as Neymar.