Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Christian Pulisic and Mamadou Sakho

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly even more reluctant to sell Liverpool target Christian Pulisic after his impressive recent displays for the club.

According to Simon Jones of the MailOnline, that means the Reds may have let their best chance of signing the United States international slip by. Liverpool had a £14 million bid rejected for the 18-year-old in the summer and are said to be keen to try again in the January window.

However, Pulisic has continued his rapid rise at the Westfalenstadion, showing the ability needed to make a significant impact in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. Here’s a look at why there’s so much hype about the attacking midfielder:

While he wasn’t expected to be a key first-team player this term, the youngster has been used frequently by Thomas Tuchel, as we can see here courtesy of sports writer Cristian Nyari:

Jones added that RB Leipzig have also made their interest known in Pulisic, although they too had an offer turned down by Dortmund. It’s reported an offer of £27 million will be needed before the Bundesliga side even ponder a sale.

While that’s an enormous amount of money for a player who is still in the early stages of his career, Pulisic looks destined for the very top. The American is agile, technically brilliant and has already showcased a ruthlessness in possession when he gets into dangerous areas.

Per B/R's Lars Pollmann, given his tender years, Pulisic has shown so much maturity when on the pitch this season:

Liverpool may lament not getting him in the summer, as the winger’s stock, importance to Dortmund and price will rise in months and years to come. Given how difficult deals are to do in the January window, it’s unlikely BVB would consider a midseason sale.

Pulisic looks to be in the right place for his development. Currently he’s getting plenty of minutes alongside excellent fellow attacking players and making serene progress. Disrupting this dynamic would be a gamble.

Mamadou Sakho Set for January Exit

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According to Tom Hopkinson of the Sunday People, Liverpool will move on Mamadou Sakho in the January window, with Leicester City and West Ham United keen to secure the France international defender.

As noted in the report, the former Paris Saint-Germain man has yet to feature this season following on from a falling out with manager Jurgen Klopp in the summer. The coach was reportedly unhappy with the player’s attitude during a pre-season tour in the United States.

While Liverpool’s defence hasn’t been watertight so far this season, the partnership between Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip has shown encouraging early signs, while Ragnar Klavan has proved himself to be a capable deputy.

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It means that Sakho is a dispensable figure at Anfield as things stand. As noted by B/R's Jack Lusby, the defender has been featuring in the under-23s setup:

Towards the back end of the 2015-16 season the Frenchman established himself as a real fan favourite. Not only in terms of his commanding performances on the field—including goals against Dortmund and rivals Everton—but his personality, too. As such, Sakho will be hugely disappointed with how the situation has deteriorated.

For West Ham or Leicester he could be a fine pickup. The Frenchman has shown he can handle the cut and thrust of the Premier League, after all. Having been marginalised by Klopp, Sakho would be determined to show what he can do.