According to reports from Italy, Liverpool could now be set to miss out on a player who Arne Slot had seemingly been eager to bring to Anfield.
Last week, it had been reported that the Reds’ new head coach had begun discussions with Teun Koopmeiners over a possible reunion with his former AZ Alkmaar protégé, but that keenness appears not to have been mirrored by the club’s powerbrokers.
On Tuesday, Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Juventus have reached a ‘basic agreement’ with the Atalanta midfielder’s agent, with the Bianconeri being the only suitor to demonstrate a ‘concrete’ interest in the 26-year-old.
Liverpool were seemingly in ‘pole position’ for the player at one point, but never conveyed that apparent desire with any firm activity.
LFC may now be left hoping that Atalanta ultimately price Juventus out of a deal for Koopmeiners, who’s valued at €60m (£50.4m) and will absolutely not be sold for anything less than €55m (£42m), as per Gazzetta dello Sport.
However, if some form of an agreement has been struck – as the latest reports indicate – then Liverpool may simply have left it too late to try and bring in the Dutchman, who was hailed as a ‘complete footballer’ by his compatriot Ruud Krol (Tuttosport, via Radio Rossonera).
If Slot had gone to the trouble of speaking to the 26-year-old about a potential move to Anfield but sees him join another club instead, it’d surely leave the Reds’ head coach feeling dismayed that his efforts were in vain.
There are still some hurdles to clear before Juventus execute a transfer for Koopmeiners, and should the proposed deal collapse at any point, Richard Hughes must seek to pounce with haste for someone who could add a massive goal threat to our midfield (he’s scored 25 in the previous two seasons).
