Liverpool to BATTLE Barcelona for €100m midfielder

Tom Weber

• Updated: 30 May 2023 17:58 BST
• 3 min read

Liverpool have joined Barcelona in the race to sign Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes.

The Reds are keen to freshen up their midfield in the summer following a disappointing season that saw them miss out on Champions League football. With Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner leaving the club and perhaps even Fabio Carvalho following suit soon, Jurgen Klopp and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke are scouring the market for replacements.

One of those has already been known for some time: Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister, who will '100 per cent' move in the summer and whose negotiations with Liverpool were already '90 per cent' done a few weeks ago according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The deal should be confirmed within the next month.

READ: Who is Jorg Schmadtke? Liverpool's new sporting director

Just one player won't be enough to get Liverpool challenging for the Premier League again - a goal Klopp has already publicly announced - so more options are being looked at, and Bruno Guimaraes is one of them.

Barcelona's €100 million offer

The Brazilian has been one of the Premier League's best midfielders since making the switch to Newcastle, and it was reported yesterday that his performances have attracted interest from Barcelona who, despite their financial troubles, would be prepared to pay as much as €100m for the 25-year-old.

Now, Liverpool are also said to be taking a keen interest in him, but there's a catch: the Magpies have no intention of letting one of their star players leave seeing as though they themselves have big Premier League and European ambitions now that they've qualified for the Champions League sooner than most expected.

READ: Barcelona eye SHOCK €100m move for Premier League star

Therefore, the Saudi-backed side have offered Guimaraes a bumper new deal that would see him become one of the league's top-five highest earners, according to GOAL.

Given that Liverpool will be in the Europa League next season, it could be tough for them to convince the Brazilian that theirs is a more attractive project than Newcastle's.