Liverpool plot another Bundesliga raid as Klopp shortlists breakout star
After signing three Bundesliga stars in the summer, Liverpool are back for more, it seems.
Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Reds scouts were present at Bayer Leverkusen's crucial clash with Borussia Dortmund to scout Jeremie Frimpong and Nico Schlotterbeck. Now, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has reportedly added Hoffenheim's breakout star Maximilian Beier to his shortlist.
That's at least according to BILD, which claims that the 21-year-old's impressive form, particularly this season, has attracted big-name attention from England. Beier is a quick, versatile forward who has notched six goals and four assists in 13 games for Hoffenheim this season, his first getting regular minutes in the Bundesliga.
Beier spent the previous two campaigns on loan at Hannover in the second tier and showed signs of immense promise. American Hoffenheim boss Pellegrino Matarazzo has put his faith in the youngster this term and it has paid off, eventually rewarding him with a bumper new deal in October that includes a €30 million release clause.
Liverpool's Bundesliga raid
Liverpool's interest in Beier is unsurprising given his age and form this season. Moreover, his versatility and athleticism make him an ideal forward for Klopp's system as the youngster can play centrally and out wide. Whether he has the necessary physicality to succeed in England is up for debate, but his technical ability is impressive.
It's clear that Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke is trying to use his Bundesliga links to his advantage again after already signing Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch in the summer.
In addition to Beier and the aforementioned Frimpong and Schlotterbeck, Liverpool have also been linked with German-born Turkish international and Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, with whom Schmadtke is familiar. The then-Bayern youngster was already on his radar while he was in charge of Wolfsburg's recruitment.