‘Klopp wanted the player’: Celtic could sign star Liverpool missed out on

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wanted to bring reported Celtic target Jani Atanasov to the Premier League before the midfielder’s move to Turkey, scout Oguzhan Oguz explains to Goal. 

A 6ft 2ins powerhouse of a midfielder, Ange Postecoglou’s Scottish Premiership champions showed an interest in Atanasov late last summer (Sky Sports). And you can probably expect to see his name return to the gossip columns in 2023. 

Celtic, after all, will lose Oliver Abildgaard when his loan ends next summer. And, during the injury-enforced absence of talismanic captain Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley has not exactly thrived in a deeper role. For all his technical qualities, O’Riley lacks the Scotland international’s defensive awareness off the ball. 

The all-action Atanasov, meanwhile, is set to become a free-agent in nine months’ time. Such affordability and availability is unlikely to go unnoticed.

Jurgen Klopp once wanted Celtic target Jani Atanasov at Liverpool

The Macedonian is currently plying his trade for Hajduk Split in Croatia, after a two-year stint with Turkish outfit Bursaspor between 2018 and 2020. 

“Atanasov was kind of the club’s project transfer,” explains Oguz, who was working with Bursaspor at the time.

“He also had serious suitors. I can even share an anecdote about him. While watching the U18 European Championship in Finland, we ran into Liverpool’s scout. He asked me if we had signed Atanasov. During our conversation, he said that Jurgen Klopp also wanted the player very much. 

“At this point, it was also very important to use good connections in Macedonia. The player came to Bursaspor, but some conditions were not fulfilled and the player left the club without making the expected contribution.”

Liverpool will almost certainly prioritise an energetic, up-and-coming central midfielder in the New Year. Florentino Luis, Enzo Fernandez and Jude Bellingham are among those linked. Atanasov, however, has some work to do if he is to force his way into Klopp’s plans again, that Liverpool ship sailing during his disappointing spell in the Turkish top flight.