Liverpool are likely to be busy in the summer transfer window as the Reds hierarchy and FSG looks to usher in a new era at Anfield.
With Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool in the summer and Arne Slot set to take the reins, there’s a lot of work to be done to maintain continuity at Anfield.
Plenty of top players are being linked with a summer move to Anfield, including one who Slot knows quite well from their time in Dutch football.
The player in question is Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, and a new report from Italy has provided an update on the player amid interest from Liverpool.
Tuttosport‘s report is written from a Juventus perspective, and it claims the Bianconeri have been in talks with Koopmeiners’ agent over a prospective move.
The player himself is also said to be keen on a switch to Turin, but the report also claims Liverpool have emerged as a suitor of late, which could be a ‘tough obstacle’ for the Italians.
Koopmeiners apparently sees his future at either a big Serie A club like Juve, or the Premier League. This is a boost for Liverpool and fellow English suitors Newcastle and Manchester United.
The report also says Atalanta value Koopmeiners at €60-70million (£52-60million), a sum which the Reds should be able to pay with ‘no problem’.
Who is Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners?
Although Liverpool bolstered their midfield ranks significantly last season, Koopmeiners would no doubt be a great shout for the Reds and a potential upgrade on Wataru Endo.
Koopmeiners has been shining for Atalanta in recent years. He has registered 112 appearances, 26 goals and 12 assists for the Bergamo club. He also has 20 Netherlands caps to his name.
Back in 2021, Total Football Analysis wrote: “The Dutchman is an extremely composed and cultured player at the base of midfield.
“And since he is left-footed and can drop back to play at centre-back as well, there have been some comparisons to his compatriot Daley Blind, as well as to Nemanja Matic.”
Koopmeiners’ agent Bert Baving has likened him to Toni Kroos, Jorginho, Nemanja Matic and Manuel Locatelli, players of the highest quality.
And Italian football expert Alvise Cagnazzo wrote in the Daily Mail in April: “Koopmeiners is the best midfielder in Europe in terms of performance.
“He has physical strength and technical quality, while tactically he is a central midfielder who with time and experience has come to understand how to be the decisive element.
“In Serie A, he has scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 27 games. He looks like ‘Robocop’, has a physique of steel and will probably be the player to build a cage next to.”
