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Gossip: Liverpool move for Oblak after Alisson 'rejects Anfield move', Everton 'target Lascelles', Naglesmann 'snubs Real Madrid'

Liverpool are in the market for a new goalkeeper to replace Loris Karius – with both Alisson and Oblak on the radar, according to reports
Liverpool are in the market for a new goalkeeper to replace Loris Karius – with both Alisson and Oblak on the radar, according to reports

If Sports Direct did newspaper headlines, “Liverpool told they can sign €60m rated Barcelona star for just €30million” is so deliberately misleading it could have been penned by Mike Ashley himself.

Everyone loves a bargain, whether it’s on Lonsdale tracky bottoms or Dutch international goalkeepers, so who could blame Mirror-reading Reds fans for clicking to see more about this sensational half-price offer on Jasper Cillessen.

But just like those polyester trousers “reduced” from £40.99 to £8.99 were probably never worth £40.99, and might not even be worth £8.99, it turns out Cillessen’s price tag may also be somewhat inflated.

“He has a release clause of €60m”, expounds the Mirror, but Liverpool could get him “for half the release fee”.

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The tabloid then goes on to explain how Barcelona signed the 29-year-old from Ajax for €13m and he has since made a total of two appearances in La Liga, instead being used almost exclusively in the Copa del Rey and not even getting picked for the Champions League group stages.

So to describe him as a £60m-rated star is disingenuous in the extreme (and they also missed out a hyphen between €60m and rated, but that’s not important right now.)

Alisson waits for Real Madrid

Of even greater concern to Liverpool than the Mirror’s duplicity is the Mail’s report that top goalkeeping target Alisson is “ready to reject” a move to Anfield.

The (genuinely) £60m-rated Roma star instead has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid and is “ready to wait” for the European champions to sign him, if and when they ever do.


All of which gives credence to the Express’s claim that the Reds have launched a “stunning £79m bid” for the Atletico Madrid shotstopper Jan Oblak.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be “confident” Atletico will accept the world-record offer (for a goalie), although the Express has nicked this story from Spanish gossip mavericks Don Balon so perhaps we shouldn’t give it too much credence.

Everton want Jamaal Lascelles

In news that isn’t about Liverpool signing goalkeepers, the Sun reports that new Everton manager Marco Silva wants to make Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles his first signing at Goodison Park.

The 24-year-old English centre-back is valued at £30m and could head to Merseyside in deal that resembles an exact replica of Everton’s £30m signing of 24-year-old English centre-back Michael Keane from Burnley this time last year. Don’t want to put a downer on it or anything.

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Meanwhile, Hoffenheim manager Julian Naglesmann has taken the rather ballsy move of rejecting the chance to replace Zinedine Zidane as manager of Real Madrid, according to German paper Bild. Guess he is probably holding out for the Swansea job.

Elsewhere, Huddersfield are interested in AC Milan’s Portuguese forward Andre Silva (Sky Sports), Brighton and Everton are battling to sign Charlton’s 20-year-old defender Ezri Konsa (Mirror) and Leicester and Southampton have joined West Ham in the race to sign £35m-rated Lazio winger Felipe Anderson (Leicester Mercury). He was being linked with Man Utd and Liverpool a year ago, the poor fella.

@darlingkevin