Liverpool Transfer News: Fresh Julian Draxler Rumours, Latest on Jonas Hector

Liverpool are reportedly one of three Premier League clubs keen on signing VfL Wolfsburg and Germany star Julian Draxler.

According to France Football (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness), as well as interest from the Reds, Manchester United and Arsenal want to land the 22-year-old star; Italian champions Juventus are also linked. It’s stated Draxler would likely cost around £50 million, with the Bundesliga club having paid £25.2 million to sign him last summer.

Draxler endured a mixed campaign at the Volkswagen Arena in 2015-16, when he was tasked with replacing the creative output of Kevin De Bruyne, who joined Manchester City. Here is a look back at some of his standout moments:

Nevertheless, he’s a player who’s been  impressive at the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Germany will play hosts France in Thursday’s semi-final, and Draxler has been one of the team’s main attacking threats.

His performance in the 3-0 win over Slovakia in the first knockout match was particularly impressive. Bleacher Report UK broke it down here:

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would have seen the quality of Draxler firsthand during his time in the Bundesliga. The youngster is a stunning technician, able to strike the ball brilliantly with either foot, operate in a variety of positions and trouble defenders in different ways with his broad skill set.

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A sum of £50 million is a lot, though. As exciting as Draxler is when on form, he’s still a young player and therefore still searching for consistency in his game. That’s enough to make the purchase a big gamble, regardless of the clear potential the Germany international possesses.

As Bleacher Report’s Clark Whitney noted during the Euros, it has been encouraging to see that the Wolfsburg man seems to relish the big stage:

If he were to make a £50 million move to Anfield, there would be an incredible amount of focus on him.

For Liverpool, he’d add something different to the team’s attacking endeavours; however, for the kind of fee aforementioned, it’s a move that seems unlikely. It’s important for Draxler to have some stability in his career if he’s to show consistency on the pitch, too.

Tottenham in for Jonas Hector

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According to German outlet Express (h/t Dipesh Argawal of Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Liverpool target Jonas Hector in a potential blow to the Reds’ chances.

As Argawal noted, Klopp’s side have long been linked with the FC Cologne man, and it’s stated that Spurs joining them in the pursuit of the player could push any price up to the €20 million (£17 million) mark. The versatile defender is another Germany international who’s impressed at the tournament in France.

The left-back became a national hero when he scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Italy in the quarter-final. Prior to that, he had a good game, too, per OptaFranz:

The 26-year-old has been quietly impressive in the Bundesliga for a long time. While he’s been used as a left-back in the national team, he’s slotted in at the centre and on the left of midfield at domestic level. Hector has a balanced set of attributes and an adaptability that many managers would love to have in their squad.

Liverpool’s chances of securing the player seem to be fading, though. In addition to the suggestions that Spurs want him, Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo has stated there is "no interest" in the player from the Reds. Given the team’s issues in the left-back spot last term, that will disappoint plenty tied to the Merseyside club.