Any report linking Liverpool to a Southampton player now undoubtedly triggers a grimace from Reds fans.
The bad blood surrounding the Virgil van Dijk calamity has seemingly failed to stop Liverpool from trying to keep up their trend of turning to St Mary’s for new signings with yet another Saints star having been linked to an Anfield move.
That said, there is a good chance whoever fed the latest rumour is sitting back, laughing at the resulting outbursts and feeling pretty good about taking full advantage of what the transfer market has become.
After apologising for their pursuit of Van Dijk and subsequently ending all interest in the defender, Liverpool are now targeting Dušan Tadić, according to the Sunday Times.
What makes the story even more surprising is the fact it has come from a notably reliable source.
Tadić’s contract supposedly has a release clause of around £13m, thereby admittedly making the playmaker a highly-talented and affordable option. Supporters will inevitably agree, though, that Liverpool need to be competing for players of a much higher standard and calibre this summer.
It has also been suggested that the winger would be keen on the move with the prospect of Champions League football believed to be a key attraction. The 28-year-old represents a relatively cheap opportunity to bolster the team’s strength in depth in attacking areas ahead of a busy 2017/2018 schedule.
Liverpool are meanwhile still in pursuit of Roma winger Mohamed Salah with difficulty agreeing on a fee appearing to be the main issue. Recent reports have also tipped Klopp to launch a £40m bid to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as one last ditch attempt to stop the midfielder from signing a new deal at Arsenal.
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