Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Gary Medel and Mahmoud Dahoud Rumours

Liverpool have reportedly seen bids rejected for a pair of transfer targets in recent days. Chilean international Gary Medel looks set to stay at Inter Milan, while Borussia Monchengladbach turned down £25 million for Mahmoud Dahoud.

The situation surrounding Medel is the most confusing. A recent report from Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football-Italia.net) broke news that Inter "immediately rejected" a bid for Medel from an English club that was not named, "although it’s not clear what sort of offer was submitted."

The same report noted how certain English sources stated the unnamed club was Liverpool. Indeed, TalkSport.com named Liverpool, although that report still cited news from Italy, specifically from Corriere della Sera.

Luca Zennaro/Associated Press

While there's uncertainty around the rumours themselves, there's equal confusion as to why Liverpool would pursue Medel. The player struggled during his lone Premier League season with Cardiff City during the 2013/14 campaign.

At his best, though, the 29-year-old brings tough tackling to the base of midfield. He's also versatile enough to play centre-back.

Both qualities could appeal to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. The German often relied on a very deep-lying midfielder to act as a virtual third centre-back during his days with Borussia Dortmund. Sven Bender usually filled that vital role.

However, Klopp's current squad at Anfield isn't short of midfield destroyers. Jordan Henderson played the position during Liverpool's 4-3 win at Arsenal to begin their Premier League season. There's also Emre Can and Lucas Leiva.

Liverpool Told to Forget About Dahoud

Despite the apparent plethora of options at his disposal, Klopp still appears keen to keep adding to his midfield ranks. He's reportedly already bid £25 million for Dahoud, an offer that was swiftly rebuffed, according to Mel Henderson of the Sun: "Kop chiefs made a move for the midfielder over the weekend — but were told to not bother coming back with an improved offer."

Other clubs are also interested in Dahoud, even though Monchengladbach appear determined to keep one of their best young players. Henderson even named Klopp's old club Dortmund as one interested suitor.

Dahoud has been on Klopp's radar for a while, with Sky Sports profiling the Syrian-born midfielder back in April. That profile highlighted "incisive movement" and a "broad range of passing" as key strengths of the 20-year-old's game.

A young player with those progressive qualities would seem a natural fit for what Klopp is attempting to build at Anfield. Specifically, he's trying to create a high-energy, dynamic squad littered with quick-thinking players able to transition defence to attack in an instant.

Those transitions are critical in the heavy pressing and swift counter styles Klopp preaches. It's a method of play that demands energy be combined with flair all over the pitch.

Given his long-standing interest in Dahoud, it's easy to believe Klopp won't immediately take no for an answer. If he does step up his efforts, the challenge will be convincing Monchengladbach to part with another influential midfielder during the same summer Granit Xhaka left for Arsenal.