Juventus defender Merih Demiral has been linked with a move away from Italy, with Liverpool said to be interested in the services of the Turkey international.
The Premier League champions are currently being linked with every centre-half under the sun after Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez both sustained serious injuries earlier this season.
According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Demiral has been told he can leave Juventus – but only for a fee of €45million (£40.6m) – which serves as a warning to would-be buyers.
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Confirming what it would take to sign the defender hasn’t deterred Liverpool, however – with the same report claiming it’s actually ‘alerted’ the Reds to the situation.
In Demiral, the champions would be signing a top-class defender with experience playing alongside Italy legend Giorgio Chiellini and at around £40m he’d be a steal.
Fanatik isn’t regarded as a reliable source for even Turkish football news, though – so it’d be worth taking this with a tablespoon of salt, given the Reds’ well-known defensive injury crisis.
Another issue that presents itself with the Demiral rumour is the fact he’d be expecting more than a bit-part role at Anfield, which he couldn’t be guaranteed.