Liverpool have been reported to be in talks with the agent of PSV striker Donyell Malen, but the Dutch international looks to be edging closer to a switch to Borussia Dortmund.
The Reds are known to be in the market for a midfielder and forward this summer, two areas that need strengthening ahead of another assault on silverware.
A myriad of options in the middle of the park have been linked but further afield it has been relatively quiet, with Malen a name that has been murmured dating back to April.
At the start of July, two reliable sources in the Netherlands claimed contact had been made with Malen’s agent, Mino Raiola, over a possible move with PSV having long expected his departure.
Merseyside reporter David Lynch corroborated the reports of contact, but also emphasised that it’s part and parcel of the modern game to ascertain interest from the player’s side first.
Liverpool’s admiration for the 22-year-old, who scored 27 and assisted a further 10 in 45 games for PSV last season, is not in the least surprising but it is Dortmund who have actively pursued a deal.
With Jadon Sancho set for a switch to Man United, Malen was the chosen target and Sport Bild, via German football journalist Ronan Murphy, have claimed that personal terms have now been agreed with the striker.
A price discrepancy needs to be overcome with Dortmund having offered €25 million (£21.2m), €5 million below PSV’s asking price but it all signals a switch to Germany for the Dutch international.
As Lynch states, the fee for Malen would not be out of Liverpool’s financial capabilities but the player’s wage demands, claimed to be €100,000-per-week, would prove hard to justify for the minutes he would be expected to initially play.
The Reds are certainly taking a patient approach in what Jurgen Klopp has labelled “a really calm” transfer window, with outgoings continually noted as being the key before drafting in new players.
Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri are two such players expect to depart, while on the flip side of the coin 19-year-old Jeremy Doku is a name that has long attracted Liverpool’s attention.
