Liverpool boss Arne Slot has urged the Reds hierarchy to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to reports.
The Reds have made a brilliant start to the new Premier League season with the Merseysiders four points clear of second-placed Chelsea at the top of the Premier League, while they also have a game in hand on their rivals.
Slot could have hardly wished for a better start as Liverpool boss after leaving Feyenoord to succeed legendary manager Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
Klopp left the Liverpool squad in a good state after his departure with the Reds overhauling their midfield in the previous summer transfer window.
But now Slot still sees weaknesses his side, despite them also leading the Champions League group stage table, and reports in Spain claim that the Liverpool boss has ‘asked’ the Reds hierarchy to sign Barcelona midfielder De Jong.
De Jong has suffered with injuries issues and loss of form over the last 12 months and Barcelona seem open to allowing him to leave the Camp Nou for the right price.
And it is claimed that the Netherlands international ‘could end up at Anfield’ after becoming ‘a headache of biblical proportions’ for Barcelona boss Hansi Flick.
Flick ‘continues to make it clear that he is far from his best version, and that right now he is not ready to be a starter’ with De Jong mainly used as a subsitute this term.
With De Jong, who is the joint-highest paid player at Barcelona, having a contract until the summer of 2026, the Catalan giants ‘need to get rid of him if they don’t want to see him say goodbye for free soon’.
Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have ‘lost interest in him’ but Liverpool boss Slot believes ‘that he can recover his best form’.
MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Liverpool eye ‘surprise raid’ on Chelsea as replacement for Man City, Real Madrid-linked star
👉 Liverpool: Transfer ‘seduces’ Trent Alexander-Arnold as FSG identify ‘serious issue’ amid ‘tight spot’
👉 Man Utd and Man City miserably side by side in Premier League mood rankings
Slot has ‘asked the English club’s board to initiate contacts’ for the potential January signing but the Liverpool board ‘do not want to make a big outlay for De Jong’.
Liverpool’s ‘intention is to reach an agreement for around €50m (£41m), or even less’ and persuade De Jong that Anfield is the right destination for him.
An injury to Rodri at Man City has derailed the season for Pep Guardiola’s side but former winger Jermaine Pennant believes Liverpool are less reliant on one player.
Pennant told Mega Dice: “Liverpool aren’t as dependant on one player as Manchester City are with Rodri. I don’t think if Liverpool were to lose Ryan Gravenberch to injury at any point that it would be too costly to their season.
“We saw it against Newcastle, Dominic Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister filled in for him when he was taken off and can perform well in that position and do a job, and there was a little burst of energy in the middle of the park.
“If they did lose him to injury it would hurt, of course, because what he’s been doing this season has been fantastic and he does help Liverpool get out of trouble. Liverpool are proven without him, though, so it certainly wouldn’t be as detrimental as we’ve seen the loss of Rodri has been to City.”