‘Be careful of Liverpool’ – Journalist not ruling out 11th-hour Anfield swoop

One Italian journalist isn’t dismissing the possibility of Liverpool hijacking what appears to be a done deal for one of the Reds’ most prominent transfer targets.

Teun Koopmeiners has been mentioned abundantly as a potential signing even before Arne Slot took over at Anfield, although an update from Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday indicated that the 26-year-old has agreed personal terms with Juventus and is simply waiting for an official bid to be processed.

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However, ex-Tuttosport director Xavier Jacobelli has warned the Serie A giants not to count their chickens prematurely due to the Merseysiders’ lingering presence in the transfer race for the Atalanta playmaker.

He told Tutto Juve: “Be careful of Liverpool who are still waiting, but who could become a very dangerous competitor.”

In truth, it’s probably a long shot that Liverpool will snap up Koopmeiners if, as Romano has outlined, terms are already agreed with Juventus and the player wants to join the Bianconeri.

However, as we saw with Moises Caicedo last summer, transfers which look nailed-on can be hijacked at the 11th hour, so that may yet give Slot hope that the Reds will steal his fellow Dutchman from under the Turin club’s noses.

The 26-year-old is on course to move to the Allianz Stadium for just over £50m (Tutto Juve), which indicates the price point that Richard Hughes would need to surpass if he’s to pull off a sensational heist for the man who Dutch football legend Ruud Krol dubbed a ‘complete player‘.

It’s been a disappointingly low-key transfer window so far for Liverpool, but if the Merseysiders were to swoop in and land Koopmeiners at this stage, it could change the entire complexion of the summer and truly kickstart the head coach’s reign at Anfield by delivering a player he’d love to have at the club.

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