Atalanta have told Liverpool that they’ll have to pay at least £35m to sign Teun Koopmeiners in January.
That’s according to Gazzetto Dello Sport via Football Italia. As per the Italian paper, the Reds are reportedly interested in bringing Koopmeiners to Anfield mid-season.
Subsequently, Liverpool are said to have ‘sounded out’ Atalanta about the Dutch midfielder’s availability.
In response, the Italians are claimed to have slapped a ‘minimum’ price-tag of £35m on their player. There’s no indication as to how Liverpool responded to such a valuation.
Liverpool assessing all options
If Liverpool really do want Koopmeiners, then this wouldn’t sound like a bad price at all.
The former AZ Alkmaar youngster is still just twenty-four, and has already shown what a good player he is.
After impressing at AZ and Atalanta, he showed up in a big way for the Netherlands at the recent World Cup. It was his quick-thinking that allowed Wout Weghorst to equalise with a cheeky free-kick routine in the quarter-final against Argentina.
Koopmeiners spot-kick in the resulting penalty shootout also showcased the kind of dead-ball quality he has become known for.
Liverpool are known to be targeting other, more expensive midfield options in the transfer market. Seen through some of those deals, the Dutchman could be a shrewd bit of business.
Still, £35m isn’t chumps change to Liverpool. Perhaps that isn’t true for the clubs that they’re currently rivalling at home and abroad. But to the Reds, every penny still appears to count.
As a result, they won’t move for Koopmeiners unless they’re totally convinced that he’s the right man.
We saw them pass over paying a similar kind of fee for Matheus Nunes last summer. So, you can believe that just as much thought will go into paying £35m for Koopmeiners as it will to paying £130m for Jude Bellingham. Perhaps that’s a good thing. Let’s see what Liverpool end up deciding.
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