Liverpool keen on €60 million-rated ace but the move has stalled

Liverpool are keen on signing the Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure. 

A report from RMC Sport claims that the 23-year-old midfielder is valued in excess of €60 million and Liverpool are unwilling to pay that kind of money for him.

The Reds are in desperate need of midfield reinforcements after the departure of Fabinho and they need to bring in a quality, defensive midfielder.

The 23-year-old has impressed in the Premier League since joining Crystal Palace and he could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition. However, the asking price will have to come down in order for Liverpool to make a move for him.

Apparently, the transfer has now stalled and it remains to be seen whether the Reds make their move to sign the player in the remaining days of the transfer window.

The transfer window closes on the 1st of September and Liverpool must do everything in their power to bring in a quality defensive midfielder before then.

They have already signed two quality central midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. Signing a quality defensive midfielder will help shield the back four and add more balance to the midfield.

It would also allow the likes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai to operate with more freedom and play their natural game.

The reported €60 million asking price seems like a premium but the Reds managed to agree on a club-record transfer fee with Brighton and Hove Albion for Moises Caicedo earlier this summer and they certainly have the resources to sign Doucoure well.

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Everton ‘want to get into fight’ for signing – Toffees have eyes on impressive transfer

Everton and Crystal Palace will have to battle with Paris Saint-Germain for PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko.

That’s according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who took to Twitter to state the Ligue 1 side are expected to table a €25m bid at the start of this week.

The chase for the 20-year-old is getting hot as Everton and Crystal Palace are also in the mix.

Tavolieri explains that the Toffees ‘want to get into the fight’ to sign the winger while Roy Hodgson’s side remain attentive to his situation and could move if Eberechi Eze were to leave Selhurst Park.

That’s about the only information the journalist shares about the Premier League duo. Napoli showed interest in the Belgium international but now seem to have withdrawn from the race after offering an extension to Hirving Lozano.

Bakayoko has a contract until 2026 and Tavolieri says the Eredivisie side will need ‘at least €30m’ plus bonuses to part ways with him this week.

Such an amount seems very high for Everton’s reality right now and without a deal structured to heavily push costs further down the road, it’s hard to see how they’d have the power to fight for this one.

Bakayoko registered two assists in PSV’s 2-2 draw against Rangers in the Champions League last week and would be vital for his side in the return leg on Wednesday.

Tavolieri says this leaves interested clubs like PSG, Everton and Crystal Palace with ‘little time’ to try to seal the deal for Bakayoko before the window closes on Friday