8 months ago
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Liverpool are competing with Juventus to sign Teun Koopmeiners, who is enjoying a superb season in Italy with Atalanta.
Netting ten times in 25 appearances this term, with Atalanta sitting sixth in Serie A, Koopmeiners is one of only two players to reach double figures from midfield over the last two seasons in Europe’s top five leagues – along with Manchester City’s Phil Foden.
The 26-year-old’s ninth and tenth goals of the league campaign came away to Juventus last weekend, as Atalanta drew 2-2 to emerge from the Allianz Stadium with a point.
According to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus had already identified Koopmeiners as a potential target and the Dutchman’s performance has only strengthened their interest ahead of the summer transfer window.
It’s claimed the eye-catching display may have complicated Juve’s pursuit, though, as it has put Koopmeiners at ‘the centre of the market’, with Liverpool also keen on the Netherlands international.
Juve are on the hunt for Paul Pogba’s long-term replacement after the France World Cup winner was handed a four-year ban following a failed drugs test and Koopmeiners is being viewed as an ideal successor.
There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of Adrien Rabiot and Weston McKennie and the Turin outfit could look to bring in at least two midfielders ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Atalanta value Koopmeiners at between €50-60million (£43-51m), which Juventus are willing to spend, though they may first be forced to offload the likes of Matias Soule, Samuel Iling-Junior and McKennie to raise the necessary funds.
The report states that Liverpool have the financial muscle to win the race for Koopmeiners’ signature. However, the midfielder would prefer to remain in Italy should Juve match any offer from the Premier League giants.
Koopmeiners will also be mindful of Jurgen Klopp’s impending departure at the end of the season, which would have to be taken into consideration when weighing up possible destinations in the summer.
After joining AZ Alkmaar at Under-12 level, Koopmeiners rose through the club’s academy ranks before winning the Dutch third division with the side’s reserve team in 2017.
Later that year, he made his first-team debut for AZ and went on to score 43 goals in 154 games for his boyhood club before completing a switch to Atalanta in 2021 for a fee of around £10m.
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