Liverpool Transfer News: Joao Teixeira Wants to Stay at Anfield, Top Rumours

Liverpool midfielder Joao Teixeira has announced he wishes to stay at Anfield beyond the summer, despite reports suggesting the Portugal under-21 international will depart Merseyside. 

Simon Jones of the Mail Online reported the 23-year-old former Sporting Lisbon player was being lined up by Fiorentina as his contract expires in the north-west. 

However, the player has declared it is his intention to stay with head coach Jurgen Klopp's squad, as quoted by Portuguese website Desporto ao Minuto (h/t James Cambridge of the Express): 

"

I don’t regret leaving Sporting. When I got here [Liverpool] I went to the reserves.

It was harder because I had an injury that made me stop for almost seven months, so it delayed my adaptation to English football.

Football here is much different and it’s needed some time to adapt. It’s been seven months that I lost in my adaptation, but I don’t regret it.

[...]

I don’t know [if I will return to Sporting Lisbon], at the moment, I don’t know. You can’t close the door on any sides.

At the moment, if I had an opportunity, I’d think about it. Now I intend to stay at Liverpool.

"

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Former manager Brendan Rodgers signed the player for £830,000 in 2012, per Jones, after suitably impressing academy director Frank McParland.

The Sun's Alan Nixon recently reported Huddersfield Town want to sign Teixeira during the summer, after the player impressed on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion last year in the Championship.

Nixon claimed Klopp is keen to sign the midfielder to a new deal and see him once again move out on loan to gain experience. Huddersfield are managed by long-term Klopp associate, David Wagner, and the pair's relationship could see a mutually beneficial deal being agreed. However, the player will have the final say.

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In other news, Liverpool are keen on Udinese's Piotr Zielinski, who is currently on loan at Empoli. 

However, the 21-year-old’s representative, Bartlomiej Bolek, told Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star) that his client is focused on performing for his Serie A team until the end of the campaign, despite the reported interest:

"

What I can say is that Piotr is fully focused on the season with Empoli.

We will see what will happen. It is important to do well at the European Championship, then we'll see.

Piotr has a two-year contract with Udinese. After the season, and after the European Championship, we will decide what to do.

He's very talented, is ready to do even better and just needs time to do it.

"

Here is a video displaying the player's skill set:

The attacking midfielder has impressed in Italy this season and has featured 25 times in Serie A, according to WhoScored.com, and the Poland international will wait until after the UEFA European Championships to decide his plans. 

Teixeira's future will need to be decided soon, but with both player and manager willing to stay in partnership, it seems the talented individual will renew his commitment to Liverpool.

The Portuguese has looked confident in a Reds shirt when given the nod by Klopp this season, and he has the talent to be a strong squad player in the coming years.

Klopp will want to build throughout the summer as he adjusts his starting XI, but the retention of talented youngsters will remain high on his agenda into next term.