Reports: Liverpool set to beat Bayern Munich in the race for German international
What's the story?
After beating rivals Manchester City to the signing of Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool are set to compete with the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal for the purchase of Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka according to German media outlet Bild.
The 22-year-old's contract with the Royal Blues is expiring next summer and he is free to sign a pre-contract with a new club in January.
In case you didn't know...
Liverpool gave their fans a pretty good Christmas gift with the signing of long-term target van Dijk from Southampton for a world record fee of £75 million this week. The Dutch international will be available for team selection from the turn of the new year and is expected to make his debut against rivals Everton in the third round of the FA Cup.
Goretzka, who the Reds have reportedly turned their attention to, is yet to sign an extension and could leave for free as he is considering his options. The young central midfielder is said to make an announcement about his future in January, putting clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Liverpool on alert.
The heart of the matter
Even though the heavyweights like Bayern and Barcelona are in contention to sign the 22-year-old player, Bild claims that Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are the frontrunners for Goretzka. The Merseyside club could convince him to sign a pre-contract with them in January if the report is to be believed.
The player can only negotiate an agreement with clubs outside Germany and this gives Liverpool an advantage over Bayern Munich. The prospect of working under Klopp and reuniting with former teammate Joel Matip could convince Goretzka to join the Premier League club.
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Author's take
Klopp has already worked his magic several times by convincing his targets to snub other clubs and sign for Liverpool, van Dijk being the latest one after he rejected Manchester City for the Reds.
Goretzka could be the next to follow the same path, but this deal could also imply that the club are willing to let Emre Can leave next summer.