Deal close – £33.8million Liverpool target now on the verge of agreeing move elsewhere – Report

Liverpool target Douglas Luiz is reportedly edging ‘closer’ to joining Juventus this summer, as per Tutto Atalanta. 

The Reds decided to revamp their engine room by purchasing four new midfielders ahead of last season. So, it initially looked like they would be exploring options to reinforce other areas in the upcoming window. 

News – Liverpool ready to submit ‘proposal’ in few days to sign £101m midfielder – Report

However, Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot is reportedly willing to sign an upgrade to Wataru Endo. Therefore, they have seemingly decided to explore options in the market with Luiz being suggested as a key target. 

However, TA reports that Juventus have earmarked the Brazilian as an ‘important target’ and have already accelerated their efforts to lure him to the Allianz Stadium. 

Villa could reportedly accept a fee of around £33.8m to sell Luiz and the Bianconeri have submitted a part-exchange deal, including Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior plus £17m in transfer fee to match the Villans’ valuation. 

The Italian outlet states that Juventus are ‘increasingly closer’ to signing the midfielder, the same has been reported by Corriere dello Sport today, so, it doesn’t look likely that Liverpool will be able to acquire his service to reinforce their midfield.

Therefore, the Reds will have to shift their focus to alternative options with Ederson, and Bruno Guimaraes reportedly on their radar as well. 

Ederson and Guimaraes are the specialist holding midfielders, hence either of them would be a shrewd signing for Liverpool. However, the Newcastle United star is likely to cost big.

So, Ederson would be a more viable option for Liverpool if they eventually opt to strengthen the middle of the park ahead of next season.