The modern day transfer window has responded in typical fashion to Liverpool’s failed pursuit of Naby Keita by triggering an influx of tenuous new links.
RB Leipzig’s stern insistence that Keita will not be sold this summer is believed to have led Jurgen Klopp to begin turning his attentions elsewhere as he strives to bolster the spine of his team with a new midfielder.
Doing so has also undoubtedly been made more important by the sale of long-serving Red Lucas Leiva to Lazio, not to mention the departure of fellow holding midfielder Kevin Stewart to Hull City.
There remains a void to be filled at Liverpool, not only in aid of the team’s strength in depth but also for the obvious focus on improving defensively.
The club will now make a bid of £15.3million for Rennes midfielder Benjamin Andre, according to newspaper Le Télégramme, per the Liverpool Echo.
Andre has spent his entire career in France so far, but caught the eye last season with 329 interceptions in Ligue 1.
Though a deep-lying defensive midfielder seems a necessity, Klopp already has plenty of options when it comes to his central trio.
It also seems more likely the German would be more comfortable utilising young Serbian Marko Grujic as opposed to signing a relatively unproven player.
Andre does, however, represent the kind of unknown commodity that Klopp has previously proven he is capable of moulding into a valuable contributor.
That said, let’s put this down as one of the more unlikely deals.
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