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Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp will bid for Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne if he needs to replace Philippe Coutinho, according to reports. Liverpool’s most creative spark last season, Coutinho may be on his way out of Anfield this summer and heading for Catalonia. The club's owners released a statement on Friday insisting that Coutinho would not be for sale after reports that Barcelona was willing to pay £120 million ($156 million) for the 25-year-old. But hours later, Coutinho delivered a transfer request to Liverpool. Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now Now, despite Klopp’s and his club’s resolve about holding onto their star player, they will have to consider a potential replacement should Coutinho end up leaving, and Insigne is a possibility. According to the Daily Mirror, Klopp has long been an admirer of 26-year-old Insigne, who plays in a similar position to Coutinho and scored 20 goals in Serie A last season. He is reported to be valued at around £60 million ($78m). Related: Liverpool Fends Off Coutinho Offer, Faces Offer For Another Star Midfielder Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp at Vicarage Road, Watford, England, on August 12. Alex Broadway/Getty Like Liverpool, Napoli says Insigne is not for sale, with the club facing the start of the Italian season next weekend and a Champions League campaign. But should Liverpool give in to selling Coutinho, it would have enough financial might to prize Insigne from Napoli. There is still the possibility that Liverpool will hold onto Coutinho, as he is not the only man lined up by Barcelona as a potential replacement for Neymar, sold to Paris Saint Germain for £198 million ($257 million) earlier this month. Ousmane Dembélé, the Borussia Dortmund striker, is being considered and has also shown a strong interest in moving to the Nou Camp. Last week, Dembélé failed to turn up for training with Dortmund or get in contact with the club. Each team has until August 31, when the transfer window closes, to resolve the situation. |
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Throughout the summer, no matter what subject he discussed, Arsene Wenger spoke with hope. He was constantly questioned about the contracts of Arsenal’s key players—how the club had allowed Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contracts to run down withut trying to renew them. Wenger’s response always suggested some belief that, through performances, those players would be convinced that they wanted to remain at the Emirates Stadium, and not leave for free next summer. Performances and, more importantly, results it seems, have had an effect on whether Arsenal’s players want to stay or go—and in most cases it’s the latter. Arsenal has held on for as long as it can, but the board cannot risk seeing £50 million players walk out the door for nothing. Keep up with this story and more by subscribing now So, with just 48 hours remaining of the transfer window, Arsenal may need to install a swing door for the amount of players who could be on their way out of it. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s exit looks inevitable; it is now just a matter of where he goes. At the moment, that looks likely to be Stamford Bridge with Chelsea, but Liverpool is reportedly also in the hunt for the 24-year-old midfielder, and reports suggest Oxlade-Chamberlain prefers Anfield. Related: How will Chelsea’s £105 million trio of deadline day signings fit in Conte’s team? The most talked about player of the summer at Arsenal is Sanchez. Images of the Chilean forward in serious talks with Wenger have been doing the rounds, with Sanchez looking likely to leave. On Tuesday, he looked set for Manchester City, but Arsenal reportedly wanted a player from City as part of the deal. Arsenal rejected a cash-only offer of £50 million, in the hope that Raheem Sterling or Sergio Aguero could be part of a cash-plus-player trade. And even Shkodran Mustafi could be on his way out of north London. The German center back was signed for £35 million last summer, but found himself watching from the bench as Liverpool eased passed the Arsenal defense on Sunday to a 4-0 victory. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger at Bet365 Stadium, Stoke on Trent, England, August 19. David Rogers/Getty Mustafi could be on his way to Inter Milan on a loan deal with a view to a permanent move next summer, the Daily Mail says. With no Champions League football and chances of a Premier League title slipping away before the leaves even begin to darken, hope at Arsenal is increasingly disappearing. Tags:remote-communication, wireless-m2m, remote-connectivity, remote-access, m2m-connectivity, iiot, industrial-networking, industrial-wireless |