Liverpool ‘join race’ for £17 million Bundesliga star as Teun Koopmeiner; future update provided

With Arne Slot taking over as head coach, Liverpool is expected to have a busy summer.

In Arne Slot’s first season as the team’s manager, Liverpool will be trying to improve on their 2023–2024 campaign and pursue success.

The Reds finished third in the Premier League this season and won the Carabao Cup, but they were unsuccessful in the FA Cup and Europa League, therefore they were left without any more trophies.

In the upcoming weeks, Slot is expected to make his mark on the present team and will be looking to build to Liverpool’s trophy collection during his debut year. There will also likely be some additions and deletions from the roster.

As summarised below, transfer whispers have already started to surface speculating what Slot’s team would look like come August.

Teun Koopmeiners – (Atalanta)

Teun Koopmeiners, a midfielder for Atalanta who was previously coached by Slot at AZ Alkmaar, is still being linked to Liverpool.

Liverpool is rumoured to be interested in signing the Dutch midfielder, who recently led Atalanta to Europa League gold.The midfielder is expected to complete a summer transfer following a fruitful stint in Italy.

Koopmeiners’ representative recently provided Calciomercato with an update on his future, saying, “Let’s see.” Teun is playing a consistent game of football and is enjoying an amazing season. It would be surprising if other teams didn’t pursue him. He has scored a number of stunning and significant goals.

“We understand how football operates. As long as Atalanta can still finish third in Serie A, he will concentrate on ending the season strong. For now, he is extremely thrilled that Atalanta won the Europa League. and following that, on the European Cup. For now, that’s all I have to say.

The Liverpool Echo comments: It will be intriguing to see Koopmeiners’ future developments. Now that he has seen what a Slot side is like, Koopmeiners might be open to getting back together with his old boss. Making sure this is a wise deal for the Reds is important since Liverpool could need more development in their midfield.

Goncalo Inacio – (Sporting CP) 

Inacio assert Like Koopmeiners, Goncalo Inacio is a player who Liverpool has been often rumoured to sign.

The Sporting centre back was strongly linked to a summer transfer to Anfield, but he chose to stay in Portugal and lead his team to the league championship this year.

According to the most recent Spanish rumour, Inacio is “interested” in joining the Premier League and Liverpool is his “preferred destination”.

The Liverpool Echo comments: Given Joel Matip’s impending departure and the persistent doubts around Ibrahima Konate’s form, Liverpool may have to fork over a substantial chunk of money this summer to replace their present options in this area. Although there isn’t a clear No. 2 right now, Virgil van Dijk is still the preferred option.

Brajan Gruda battle 

According to reports, Liverpool and other teams are expected to compete for the services of Mainz winger Brajan Gruda.

In 2023–2024, the Albanian made a total of 29 appearances for his present employers across all competitions. He contributed three assists and four goals to help the German team escape relegation.

His efforts don’t seem to have gone unnoticed; according to BILD via TEAMtalk, the 19-year-old is a sought-after talent. According to the newspaper, it is “realistic” that Gruda might be traded for €20 million (£17 million) this summer, which has alerted Bayer Leverkusen as well.

The Liverpool Echo comments: Although he is still a bit of an unknown quantity, should a deal materialise, the Reds would be taking a risk in the transfer market. Before making a bid, it could be wise to keep an eye on Gruda’s progress for at least a year.