Liverpool plan to replace Thiago with ‘fetish of Guardiola’ as Klopp looks to strike deal in ‘coming weeks’

Liverpool are looking to replace Thiago Alcantara with Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella in the summer, according to reports.

The Reds will be investing heavily in their midfield this summer with that area of Jurgen Klopp’s team heavily criticised for their below-par performances this season.

Liverpool have spent most of the season marooned below the European places but a brilliant seven-match winning streak has seen them challenge for the top four towards the end of the campaign.

Klopp’s side are currently one point behind both fourth-placed Manchester United and third-placed Newcastle United but Liverpool have played one game more than their two Premier League rivals.

If Liverpool can qualify for the Champions League then they will have more money to spend and become a more desirable option for players.

And one player that they are particularly interested in is Inter Milan’s Barella with Spanish publication Nacional claiming that Liverpool ‘plan to sign’ a midfielder to replace Thiago as his regular injury issues are frustrating Klopp.

The Premier League side are therefore ‘preparing a proposal close to €80m’ for Barella with the Italy international also a ‘fetish of Guardiola’ with Manchester City and Real Madrid also interested.

But Liverpool will have ‘one less rival in the auction’ with Real Madrid opting to put all their energy into signing Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Another Spanish publication, Fichajes, claims that the Reds want to ‘rebuild their attack’ with Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus.

The Ghana international has contributed 18 goals and five assists in all competitions for the Eredivisie outfit this season and his form has not gone unnoticed in other countries.

Liverpool are ‘one of those teams that closely follows the development’ of the 22-year-old, while Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona are all mentioned as potential destinations.

Klopp is keen ‘to establish the first contacts with Ajax in the coming weeks to negotiate the transfer’ with the German seeing him as ‘a key piece in the reconstruction’ of his squad.

And Klopp is convinced top players will still want to join Liverpool in the summer transfer window even if they miss out on Champions League qualification.

Klopp told reporters over the weekend: “When I talk to a player – if I’m allowed to talk to a player, which it barely the case, but in the moment when you are – you realise then it’s already clarified because we cannot tell anybody in the moment that we are definitely in the Champions League. If he’s talking to us, it’s probably already clear that he knows about that situation.

“If you join club, it’s that you want to reach something together with the club. We have to fight to be part of the Champions League, we have to fight for trophies and if you want to be part of that, you are more than welcome.

“There is one thing we cannot guarantee this year and it is Champions League football, all the rest is the same as it was before.

“It is a fantastic club with a really good football team and even better, hopefully, next year. I’ve barely faced the situation where you talk with a player and everything is great and he says, ‘okay see you if…’ That doesn’t happen really often.

“We are still Liverpool and we are really attractive for a lot of players, we should not forget that. That’s why I’m not concerned about that fact.

“Everything is of course more difficult without Champions League, especially in long term, and we have to not do these things more often.

“But apart from that, it’s okay the situation we are in from a talking point of view and convincing point of view.”

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