Liverpool have been linked with Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, who is available for just £43m in the summer.
Spanish outlet Cadena Sar says that two English sides who have paid €80m for centre-backs – ourselves (Virgil van Dijk) and Manchester United (Harry Maguire) – are the ones keen on activating the Ghanaian’s clause.
Partey excelled against us in the Champions League and displayed the kind of battling, tactically exceptional attributes that Jurgen Klopp loves from his midfielders.
You may immediately consider it strange he’s been linked, considering we have Fabinho and Jordan Henderson as superb anchorman options – but 26-year-old Partey is versatile.
Like Fabinho, he can play either in central defence or at right-back – which would theoretically provide us with cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold and also would be a potential replacement for Dejan Lovren – if the Croat departs in the summer.
Partey’s release-clause is a bargain – and makes sense considering we’re also after Timo Werner – another talented star available for a good price due to a clause in the contract.
We signed Takumi Minamino for peanuts in January – so it’s clearly a tactic Liverpool are considering and taking advantage of in the transfer market.