Liverpool pushing to sign Premier League star Jurgen Klopp described as a '£60 million player' - Reports
Liverpool are pushing to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the summer, as per reports from The Daily Mail.
Jurgen Klopp is known to be a huge admirer of the England international and touted him as a '£60 million player' back in 2019.
Back in September 2019, one season after Mount had helped Derby County reach the Championship play-off final and started breaking into Chelsea’s first-team plans, Klopp lavished praise on the attacking midfielder. He said, as quoted by Liverpool World:
“Tammy Abraham is now a £60 million player. Mason Mount for sure if not more. [Callum] Hudson-Odoi was before that already.”
Mason Mount has been a key figure for Chelsea since his breakthrough into the first-team under Frank Lampard in 2019.
The creative playmaker, who is also known for his work ethic, has been the Blues' Player of the Season back-to-back in the last couple of seasons.
However, his future at Stamford Bridge has come under doubt in recent months due to a number of factors.
The Liverpool target has his contract with Chelsea expiring in June 2024 and wants to treble his £80,000-a-week wages.
However, there is a significant gap between the player and the club in negotiations, which is why some Chelsea officials are resigned to losing him this summer.
With Liverpool desperately seeking quality in the middle of the park, the Reds have reportedly earmarked Mount as a target for the summer.
Mount has already played 190 games for Chelsea till date, since coming through the club's academy, scoring 33 goals and providing 37 assists.
He has scored thrice and provided six assists this campaign in 30 games across competitions.
Liverpool urged to sign 'next Enzo Fernandez' by ex-Benfica coach
Former Benfica coach Joao Tralhao has urged Liverpool to sign Florentino Luis, dubbed the 'next Enzo Fernandez'.
Tralhao has claimed that any manager would love to have Luis in his team thanks to his exceptional defensive abilities. He told Goal:
"He is the kind of player every coach would like to have in their squad. He’s an amazing boy, a hard worker, calm, professional, always prepared to listen and he is a proper team player. He doesn't think only of himself. Technically speaking, it’s not easy to find a midfielder with the defensive qualities he has. I used to joke with him and say that he saw the game two seconds before everyone else."
He added:
"It’s amazing the amount of interceptions he makes, the way he can be in the right position all the time. He is always in the right space to regain the ball and he has improved so much in terms of duels, using his body, protecting the ball in contact and so on."
The 42-year-old has also compared the Portuguese midfielder to former Real Madrid defensive midfielders Claude Makelele and Casemiro.
Tralhao has claimed that Luis has what it takes to play for any top team, including Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona. He said:
“He has the talent and quality to play in elite teams. Remember when Real Madrid had the Galacticos? They needed someone to balance the team, and [Claude] Makelele was so important."
He added:
"More recently, Casemiro did that job, allowing [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and [Karim] Benzema to attack. Florentino has those capabilities. He’s having an amazing season under Roger Schmidt. He can play anywhere, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, anywhere. He would have no problem adapting."
Luis has made 70 appearances for Benfica, having risen through their youth ranks over the years. He has been linked with a host of top European clubs in recent months, including Liverpool and Arsenal.