Liverpool are believed to have sent scouts to watch a European club’s “golden boy”, and they must have liked what they saw having enquired about the cost of a potential deal.
Liverpool transfer news
The Reds are flying at the moment, topping the Premier League table by five points and looking completely revitalised after Jurgen Klopp’s midfield rebuild last summer. That doesn’t mean that new signings in the January transfer window wouldn’t still be received positively by Liverpool supporters, however, in order to make their squad as strong as possible up against Manchester City in the title race, not to mention trying to win all four competitions they are playing in this season.
A host of names have been linked with moves to Anfield in recent times, with David Hancko and Goncalo Inacio both seen as strong centre-back targets, as they continue to shine for Feyenoord and Sporting CP respectively. Ousmane Diomande is another option, with Chelsea battling the Merseysiders for his services.
Borussia Monchengladbach’s Ko Itakura has also been linked, with the Japan defender capable of excelling at both centre-back and in central midfield.
Liverpool scouting Bilal El Khannouss
According to Het Laatste Nieuws [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are interested in signing Genk youngster Bilal El Khannouss, having sent scouts to watch him in action.
The Reds have made enquiries regarding the acquisition of the highly-rated 19-year-old attacking midfielder, but face competition for his signature in the form of Atletico Madrid. The report states that he is considered to be Genk’s current “golden boy”, such is his potential, and the club’s director, Dimitri De Conde, said last year:
“I have always said to Bilal and his entourage that we believe he should become the most expensive outgoing transfer in Belgian football.”
El Khannouss is someone who could be such an eye-catching addition by Liverpool, at a time when it is important that Klopp continues to look towards the future, as he builds his 2.0 era at Anfield. The playmaker has been hailed as a “wonderkid with a huge future ahead” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and snapping up Europe’s best young talent is something that the Reds should always be aiming to do.
Granted, breaking into Liverpool’s midfield is going to be difficult for any player at the moment, following the successful signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch – Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have also come of age as players this season – but El Khannouss could be loaned out to begin with, in order to keep maturing as a player.
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The Reds central midfielder caught the eye with an excellent display in the middle of the park.
The three-time capped Morocco international could then eventually become more of a key figure on Merseyside over time, assuming he keeps developing at his current rate, hopefully reaching the vast potential that he possesses.