Juventus lodges $49m bid for Liverpool 'target' as Reds helplessly watch talks unfold

Liverpool was said to be targeting wide forwards and center-backs this summer. The players with whom it has been linked have largely fallen into one of those two camps.

The top three are probably Anthony Gordon , Takefusa Kubo and Leny Yoro, none of whom have signed for the Reds as yet ( and the latter certainly won’t be ). In midfield, the biggest talk has been about a potential exit for Wataru Endo rather than stories regarding incomings.

But that is not to say there has been no talk of a signing for the heart of the midfield. Some reports have gone so far as to name Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners as Arne Slot ’s top target, though it is looking increasingly likely that the 26-year-old is heading to Juventus .

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The link between the Netherlands international and the new head coach of Liverpool was an easy one to make. Slot managed Koopmeiners at AZ Alkmaar, with the Atalanta man the 13th most used player of his career to date.

Earlier this month, journalist Xavier Jacobelli explained the player’s transfer situation to TMW . “There is a price for Koopmeiners, which for Atalanta is €60 million [$65.1m/£50.7m], without interest or technical contributions (via TBR ). “If the positions remain so, Juventus will have to pay €60 million, otherwise, the player will remain in Bergamo, but let’s not forget the third option, which is Liverpool. Arne Slot, who launched it into the AZ Alkmaar, has put him at the top of the list.”

Yet it seems Juventus has begun negotiations with a lower bid, at least according to Fabrizio Romano , who posted details of the situation to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. “EXCLUSIVE: Juventus submit first official bid to Atalanta to sign top target Teun Koopmeiners,” he wrote. “Understand there’s €45m [$49m/£38m] proposal on the table for Dutch midfielder. Koopmeiners agreed personal terms with Juventus in May, up to the clubs as Atalanta always asked big fee.”

Transfermarkt rates the player’s market value as $54m (£42m/€50m), noting he is under contract for three more seasons. FBRef list Harvey Elliott and Dominik Szoboszlai among the 10 midfielders with whom Koopmeiners is most statistically similar over the previous 365 days, so it may be Liverpool has no need for Slot’s former lieutenant. If it does, Richard Hughes might need to get a move on.

Liverpool.com says: The Reds’ rumored interest in Koopmeiners has always felt like a connection borne out of Slot’s history rather than anything more genuine. He’s a decent player but there won’t be many tears shed at Liverpool if he ends up plying his trade in Turin this summer.