Liverpool working on signing Netherlands star for more than €40m

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:37 CDT
• 3 min read

Liverpool are working on the signing of Teun Koopmeiners, reports Corriere dello Sport .

According to the sports newspaper, the defensive midfielder of Atalanta is also closely monitored by Juventus and Napoli, who could equally use reinforcements in midfield. Liverpool, however, would already have taken 'the first steps' towards the 25-year-old Dutchman.

Other Premier League clubs are also said to be looking at Koopmeiners' operations. This reportedly makes him a complicated signing for Atalanta’s Serie A rivals.

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FootballTransfers, meanwhile, confirmed on Thursday that the Reds are closely following Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, yet the Anfield side are in need of a midfield overhaul and likely to sign multiple players as a result.

Corriere dello Sport writes that Atalanta intends to ask for an amount “well above his valuation of €35 to 40 million”. His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) is estimated by the FootballTransfers algorithm at €38.8m.

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Koopmeiners has been playing for Atalanta since the summer of 2021, after signing from AZ for €14m. In Bergamo, the ball conqueror has become a highly valued star. This season he played 31 matches, in which he scored seven times and assisted goals. The contract of the 15-time international (one goal) runs until the summer of 2025.

Incidentally, Atalanta reportedly wants to shop at AZ again in the event that Koopmeiners leaves. The performance of Tijjani Reijnders is in fact closely monitored by the Italian club. The 24-year-old midfielder, who will be stationed in Alkmaar until the summer of 2027 due to his contract, is also attracting interest from Ajax.

Teun Koopmeiners’ strengths

Data analytics experts SciSports show that Koopmeiners has been one of the best-performing central midfielders in Serie A this season, with only three players giving a better overall performance than him.

His strengths include his passing, finishing and pressing, according to SciSports, while he is rated as a player who is both fast and has relatively high stamina, two attributes that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will appreciate.