Liverpool prepare £88m ‘offer’ for Real Madrid star as Man Utd ‘walk away’ from talks | OneFootball

Liverpool are weighing up a €100m (£80m) offer for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior as Man Utd ‘walk away’, according to reports.

The Reds have already been linked heavily with a move for Antoine Semenyo as they look to sign a new attacker in the winter transfer market.

Semenyo at Bournemouth could represent a market opportunity for Liverpool with The Athletic‘s David Ornstein revealing on Monday that the Ghana international has a release clause of £65m in his contract.

Most of Liverpool’s players have been underperforming this season with Arne Slot’s defending champions currently eighth in the Premier League – but Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah could do with more competition.

And now Spanish website Fichajes insists that Liverpool ‘are preparing an ambitious move to rebuild their attack for next summer’ and are ‘considering submitting an offer close to 100 million euros to try and lure’ Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior to Anfield.

The website don’t have the greatest hit rate when it comes to transfer stories but add that the Brazilian’s ‘situation has sparked interest from Liverpool, who are considering a move to revamp their attack following Salah’s potential departure to Saudi Arabian football’.

The report continues: ‘Liverpool is closely monitoring the situation. Market experts have indicated that the player is increasingly interested in the possibility of playing in the Premier League. This interest has not only attracted the attention of the English club, but also Manchester City and Chelsea, who see him as a player capable of turning games around and making an immediate impact.’

Other reports in Spain claim that Man Utd have now ‘walked away’ from a deal for Vinicius Junior with the Brazil international demanding a ‘package’ that ‘included a salary that would place him among the highest-paid players in the world, very high performance bonuses, and additional demands for his entourage.’

The report adds: ‘Therefore, the British club has put the transfer on hold. They believe the signing is still worthwhile, but not under the current terms. The financial risk is too high, even for a project aiming to make a strong statement in the transfer market.’

Former Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler reckons the Reds need to sign a defensive midfielder and a centre-back in the January transfer window.

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Fowler told Adventure Gamers: “I do think we need a Fabinho type sitter in that park because as much as there are three fabulous players in there Mac Allister, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, discipline would probably be the wrong phrase here ’cause I think they can do it.

“But you need that disciplined player to sort of sit there and try and control things. At times I think Liverpool have maybe been a bit too risky with the three midfielders going forward when it’s probably not on. I think they do need that little bit of stability in front of that back four.”

Fowler added: “God forbid anything happens to Virgil van Dijk. If he gets injured then it puts them in a really worrying position. So I think they do need to go out and get that centre-half.

“Obviously the link was Marc Guehi in the summer, and yes, I think he’ll be a name on everyone’s lips again. He’s genuinely a fantastic player, and if you’re a good player and you’re linked with Liverpool, then I’m happy with that.”