A Premier League club have reportedly joined the race to land a Liverpool midfielder, and have a ‘secret weapon’ which it’s believed ‘could help persuade’ him to join.
A number of Reds players could leave this summer, as Arne Slot looks to shape his squad to his liking. After winning the Premier League with a squad essentially entirely inherited from Jurgen Klopp, the boss has a chance to become even more dominant with players who fit his style.
Slot has already splashed over £100million on Florian Wirtz, so will surely look to bring some money back in.
The signing of attacking midfielder Wirtz could spell trouble for Harvey Elliott, who it’s regularly been suggested could leave the club this summer in search of more opportunities, after playing just 18 Premier League games last term.
According to The Sun, Brighton are set to enter the race for Elliott, with the midfielder now the ‘key summer target’ at the club, and they have a ‘secret weapon’ to land him.
It’s believed the presence of former Liverpool team-mate James Milner ‘could help persuade’ Elliott to move to the Amex.
The midfield duo played 39 games together at Liverpool, losing only eight of those, and it’s easy to assume Milner probably served as a mentor for a number of his midfield team-mates, particularly younger ones like Elliott.
Brighton believe the 22-year-old can take them to the next level – they have money to spend on a player who is ‘desperate’ to play more football, and will command a fee of around £40million.
Elliott has been linked with Nottingham Forest, but it’s believed he turned them down as he doesn’t feel they suit his style of play, while it’s believed Brighton are a club more in line with how the midfielder wants to play.
It was also recently reported that Aston Villa were the ‘favourite to win the race’ for the Liverpool man, ahead of fellow interested sides Forest, Newcastle and Wolves.
Elliott’s acceptance that he might have to leave has been clear for a little while, after he recently stated: “I don’t really want to be wasting years on my career because it’s a short career. You don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I need to reflect. I need to see if I’m content in doing what I’m doing and how can I improve as a player because that’s the most important thing.
“I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that’s to go somewhere else, then it’s a decision that I’m going to have to make and I just need to see what happens.”
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