Jurgen Klopp wants to bolster his defensive options and has reportedly targeted the Newcastle United captain.
Liverpool fans have reacted on Twitter to news that defensive target Jamaal Lascelles has no intention of leaving Newcastle United.
The Magpies skipper enjoyed a fine season at St James’ Park last term, with his performances reportedly drawing the attention of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Chelsea.
But Liverpool have been most heavily linked with the former Nottingham Forest man in recent days, with the Independent claiming Klopp wanted to bring him or Burnley star James Tarkowski in as part of a summer re-shuffle.
But Lascelles today distanced himself from a summer move in an interview with the Northern Echo, saying: “I’m very happy here. You hear things, you hear rumours and stuff, but I’m a young player and I need to be playing football at a good club – and that’s what this is.
“This is the right club for me at the right time. We have a huge fan base, an amazing manager, and this club is massive. It has so much history.”
And despite the news meaning Liverpool are likely to miss out on one of their top defensive targets, the majority of Reds fans have praised Lascelles for deciding to stay on Tyneside:
However, not all Liverpool fans are convinced and believe Klopp could still get his man if he launches a big enough bid:
Liverpool’s defensive issues are no secret – nor have they been for many years – and signing Lascelles would be a real statement of intent from Klopp.
A central partnership of Lascelles and Virgil Van Dijk would be the Reds’ strongest since the days of Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia, so testing Newcastle’s resolve with a bid this summer would be a clever move.
Rafael Benitez will be reluctant to let his skipper leave, but Newcastle are not in a position to turn a big offer down, so Klopp could land his man after all.
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