Liverpool have already been reliably linked with 12 midfielders after the end of their pursuit of Jude Bellingham. But how much would they cost?
With Bellingham seemingly off the table, the upcoming rebuild of Jurgen Klopp‘s midfield has, in a way, become even more interesting.
The Dortmund youngster has been valued as high as £130 million, which would not, of course, include a generational salary and further payments to his representatives.
Liverpool sources told journalists on Merseyside that the deal reached a point where it “stopped making sense,” which has led to alternative targets to be pursued.
So far, reliable reports have named 12 players as potential signings in the summer transfer window, with many of those coming with lofty price tags.
Mason Mount (Chelsea): £50m to £70m
According to Sky Sports‘ Melissa Reddy and The Athletic‘s Simon Johnson, Chelsea are seeking £70 million for their academy graduate.
Whether Mount would eventually move for that much remains to be seen, with only a year left on his contract, and the Mirror‘s David Maddock suggested a significantly lower £50 million.
Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton): £70m
Brighton‘s World Cup-winning midfielder will “most likely” leave this summer, according to his agent, with Football Insider among those to claim he is valued at £70 million.
Matheus Nunes (Wolves): £30m to “well over £50m”
Wolves are reported to have removed a clause in Nunes’ contract that would have paved the way for his switch to Liverpool, but he is still claimed as a target.
The Telegraph argue that Wolves would seek “well over £50 million” now, though Football Insider suggest that could drop to “around £30 million” if they are relegated.
Conor Gallagher (Chelsea): £45m
No price tag has been reported for Gallagher since Liverpool’s interest emerged, but a £45 million bid from Everton in January, per the Mail, may set a precedent.
Moises Caicedo (Brighton): £90m+
Arsenal saw a £70 million bid for Caicedo rejected in January before being quoted £90 million by Brighton, according to the Independent.
That valuation is likely to stand heading into the summer – or even increase, given the player signed a new four-year contract in March.
Joao Palhinha (Fulham): £60m
Fulham signed Portugal international Palhinha for £20 million last summer, and now the Mail‘s Sami Mokbel claims the club values him “closer to treble that amount.”
Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid): £90m+
It is an unlikely story, but Maddock also wrote in the Mirror that Liverpool could “resurrect” their interest in Tchouameni, with Real likely to seek “at least” the fee they paid to sign him last summer.
Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich): £21m+
Though Gravenberch has been credibly linked in recent weeks, there has been no price tag reported as of yet – however, Bayern paid £21 million to sign him from Ajax less than a year ago.
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan): £50m
Reports in Italy have suggested Barella could be available for anywhere between €50 million and €75 million, with Reddy citing a figure of £50 million on Sky Sports.
Luka Sucic (Salzburg): £17.6m
A relative bargain, Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten claim Sucic is available for €20 million, which is currently around £17.6 million.
Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta): £35.2m
Koopmeiners is not one of the marquee names held up by Liverpool journalists, but GOAL‘s Neil Jones has maintained there is interest.
He was already linked back in January, when reports in Italy claimed Atalanta would not sell for below €40 million, which is currently £35.2 million.
Alex Scott (Bristol City): “More than £25m”
Finally, Bristol City’s young English prodigy Alex Scott is worth “more than £25 million,” according to manager Nigel Pearson.
It should be noted that the south-west club’s record sale is Adam Webster, who joined Brighton for £20 million in 2019.