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| Adam Lallana in Liverpool for medical ahead of proposed £25m move | Adam Lallana in Liverpool for medical ahead of proposed £25m move |
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| Liverpool’s pursuit of Adam Lallana has finally paid off after Southampton accepted a £25m offer for their captain, who is poised to become the second player this summer to transfer from St Mary’s to Anfield, subject to a medical. | |
| Contrary to claims from Luis Suárez’s lawyer, Alejandro Balbi, that Anfield officials would be in Barcelona for urgent talks over their banned striker, Liverpool have instead been finalising a deal for Southampton’s attacking midfielder. They are also prepared to improve their attacking options for next season by making an offer for Benfica’s highly-rated Serbia international, Lazar Markovic, who has a £20m release clause, and the Belgium international forward Divock Origi. | Contrary to claims from Luis Suárez’s lawyer, Alejandro Balbi, that Anfield officials would be in Barcelona for urgent talks over their banned striker, Liverpool have instead been finalising a deal for Southampton’s attacking midfielder. They are also prepared to improve their attacking options for next season by making an offer for Benfica’s highly-rated Serbia international, Lazar Markovic, who has a £20m release clause, and the Belgium international forward Divock Origi. |
| The Lallana deal was agreed only hours after the south coast club sold Luke Shaw to Manchester United for an initial £27m, and could be finalised over the weekend. Lallana was subject of a final £25m bid from Liverpool before the World Cup, following Southampton’s rejection of an initial £20m offer, and Brendan Rodgers was prepared to consider alternative targets had the impasse not been broken by the end of this month. Southampton, who have already sold Rickie Lambert to Liverpool, had wanted closer to £30m due to a 25% sell-on fee payable to the 26-year-old’s former club Bournemouth. | The Lallana deal was agreed only hours after the south coast club sold Luke Shaw to Manchester United for an initial £27m, and could be finalised over the weekend. Lallana was subject of a final £25m bid from Liverpool before the World Cup, following Southampton’s rejection of an initial £20m offer, and Brendan Rodgers was prepared to consider alternative targets had the impasse not been broken by the end of this month. Southampton, who have already sold Rickie Lambert to Liverpool, had wanted closer to £30m due to a 25% sell-on fee payable to the 26-year-old’s former club Bournemouth. |
| However, Lallana’s return from England’s latest World Cup disappointment this week and determination to join Liverpool has helped push the transfer. | However, Lallana’s return from England’s latest World Cup disappointment this week and determination to join Liverpool has helped push the transfer. |
| The midfielder travelled to Merseyside on Friday for a medical and to finalise personal terms. He had been linked with a reunion with former Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur but the boyhood Evertonian’s preference has always been for a move to Liverpool. | The midfielder travelled to Merseyside on Friday for a medical and to finalise personal terms. He had been linked with a reunion with former Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur but the boyhood Evertonian’s preference has always been for a move to Liverpool. |
| Les Reed, executive director at Southampton, had hoped Ronald Koeman’s arrival as manager would “prick up a few ears” among the club’s coveted players and that Lallana would resist the temptation to end his stay after 14 years. “Lallana’s been here long enough, we’ve brought him to this level and we feel that perhaps he should give it a little bit longer,” said Reed when Koeman was appointed as successor to Pochettino. But that wish has not materialised. The traffic of players from the south coast to Anfield could continue, with Liverpool among several clubs interested in Southampton’s Croatia international defender, Dejan Lovren. | Les Reed, executive director at Southampton, had hoped Ronald Koeman’s arrival as manager would “prick up a few ears” among the club’s coveted players and that Lallana would resist the temptation to end his stay after 14 years. “Lallana’s been here long enough, we’ve brought him to this level and we feel that perhaps he should give it a little bit longer,” said Reed when Koeman was appointed as successor to Pochettino. But that wish has not materialised. The traffic of players from the south coast to Anfield could continue, with Liverpool among several clubs interested in Southampton’s Croatia international defender, Dejan Lovren. |
| Rodgers had identified Lallana as a key transfer priority for this summer and the midfielder will follow Lambert plus Emre Can, the Bayer Leverkusen player who will complete his £9.75m arrival on 1 July, into a squad preparing for a return to the Champions League next season. | Rodgers had identified Lallana as a key transfer priority for this summer and the midfielder will follow Lambert plus Emre Can, the Bayer Leverkusen player who will complete his £9.75m arrival on 1 July, into a squad preparing for a return to the Champions League next season. |
| As well as Lovren, Liverpool remain keen on the Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno despite claims earlier this week from the Spanish club’s sporting director, Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, that the proposed transfer was dead. | |
| Verdejo had insisted Liverpool’s £16m offer was nowhere near Sevilla’s valuation, believed to be £20m, and that their financial issues had been resolved by the sale of Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona. | Verdejo had insisted Liverpool’s £16m offer was nowhere near Sevilla’s valuation, believed to be £20m, and that their financial issues had been resolved by the sale of Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona. |
| Moreno has also told Spanish newspaper ABC de Sevilla: “I am happy here, Sevilla is the club of my life. There are many rumours but I only know that on 7 July I report back for training again. I am enjoying my holidays. We had a hard year and if I spent the summer thinking about these things [transfer speculation] then I can’t rest. I am calm and my father and my agent will take care of my future.” | |
| Liverpool’s interest is not over, however, and Rodgers is also keen on signing Lille’s 19-year-old striker Origi once his involvement with Belgium’s World Cup campaign comes to an end. | Liverpool’s interest is not over, however, and Rodgers is also keen on signing Lille’s 19-year-old striker Origi once his involvement with Belgium’s World Cup campaign comes to an end. |