JURGEN KLOPP will move swiftly for £60m-rated Napoli star Lorenzo Insigne if Philippe Coutinho leaves for Barcelona, according to reports.
The Liverpool boss has identified the 26-year-old as the perfect replacement should their Brazilian midfielder leave Anfield in the coming weeks.
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On Friday morning, the Reds issued a statement reiterating their intent to keep hold of the former Inter Milan ace.
But hours later it was revealed that Coutinho had submitted a formal transfer request in a bid to push through a move to the Nou Camp – with the approach swiftly rejected.
Barca – desperate to replace Neymar following his £198m Paris Saint-Germain move – have already seen two offers knocked back for the 25-year-old.
A £72m offer was followed up by a whopping £90m bid submitted days ago, as they look to bully Liverpool into accepting.
His uncertain future in the Premier League has led Klopp to target other individuals, with Insigne topping the list of potential candidates.
According to the Mirror, the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager has long been an admirer of the Italian international, and will test Napoli’s resolve of their prized asset.
However, Maurizio Sarri’s side are adamant he will not be leaving the Stadio San Paolo, with the Serie A season set to begin next weekend.
Insigne – who extended his stay with Napoli until 2022 in April – had his most fruitful campaign in front of goal in Italy last year, netting 20 times in all competitions, 18 in the top-flight.
The report goes on to state that should the Partenopei stand firm, Liverpool will line up a move for Schalke’s wonder kid Max Meyer.
Klopp failed to bring him to Dortmund when he was in charge, and remains a keen fan of the German Euro Under-21 winner.
The 21-year-old has just a year left to run on his current deal in the Bundesliga, and sources close to the player have revealed he would be open to a move to team up with Klopp.
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