Liverpool hold ‘firm interest’ in signing midfielder who Jurgen Klopp wanted in 2022 as January nears

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Liverpool are in a fantastic position to win some silverware in 2025 after their strong start to the season under Arne Slot.

The Reds lead the way in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League and could well reinforce their squad in the January transfer window to stand a better chance of competing on all fronts.

Slot refrained from splashing the cash in the summer, but the upcoming windows could be different as he aims to fine-tune his squad.

And if reports are to be believed, one of his compatriots has emerged on Liverpool’s radar.

Liverpool in the hunt for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong

After Martin Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window, Slot decided against pursuing alternatives, instead opting to use Ryan Gravenberch in that position.

While the Dutchman has been one of the best players in the Premier League in his position, he doesn’t have a like-for-like deputy in the squad, with the likes of Wataru Endo and Tyler Morton not highly rated by Slot.

A report from TEAMtalk states that Liverpool hold a ‘firm interest’ in signing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, with the midfielder’s contract set to expire in the summer of 2026.

The Catalan giants offered him a new deal on reduced terms earlier this year, but the offer expired without a response from the player and his representatives.

Barcelona do not want to lose De Jong for free in 2026 and are open to offloading him for £29m, which would represent a bargain for a player of his calibre.

However, Liverpool will not be able to match De Jong’s wage demands and the player will have to take a sizable salary-cut if his move to Liverpool has to come to fruition.

Spanish newspaper SPORT confirmed in 2022 that Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp wanted to sign the Dutchman two years ago, so he isn’t a player who is completely unknown to the Reds’ hierarchy.

What has De Jong’s agent said about his future?

In recent weeks, De Jong has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League as speculation surrounding his future continues to dominate the back pages.

However, his agent Ali Dursun poured cold water over claims that the Dutchman is looking for a transfer as he confirmed his desire to remain at Barcelona.

He said (via Fabrizio Romano on X): “The reports about a move to Saudi are nonsense. It distracts Frenkie from what he really wants: shining at Barça, the club that he loves the most.”

“Who knows, maybe Barça and Frenkie stay together for a longer time.”