Liverpool are likely to have a busy summer ahead of them as the club looks to get the Arne Slot era underway.
The Reds will soon bid farewell to Jurgen Klopp, who’s set to step down from the Anfield hotseat at the end of the season.
Liverpool and FSG have already got some key individuals in place at boardroom level and in the dugout, and soon we’ll see speculation intensify regarding players.
Now, a report from Italy has suggested that the Reds are already making good progress in pursuit of a player deemed the “best midfielder in Europe”.
The player in question is Netherlands international Teun Koopmeiners, who has been impressing for Serie A club Atalanta.
According to Tutto Atalanta, Liverpool have already held talks with both La Dea representatives and the player’s agent.
The report claims the Reds are now a ‘realistic destination’ for the 26-year-old, who has a €60million (£52million) valuation.
In addition, Slot knows Koopmeiners well from their time at AZ Alkmaar, which could give Liverpool the edge for his signature.
Who is Liverpool target Teun Koopmeiners?
Koopmeiners has made a real name for himself at Atalanta in recent years.
He has 112 appearances, 26 goals and 12 assists for the high-flying Serie A side, as well as 20 Netherlands caps to his name.
A few years ago, scouting outlet 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.”
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.”
Although Liverpool bolstered their midfield ranks considerably last summer, they could well look to bring in someone new due to Thiago Alcantara’s contract expiring at the end of the season.
Koopmeiners looks like a good shout for the Reds, so this is certainly a lead worth monitoring in the coming months.