Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Raul Jimenez and Dries Mertens
Liverpool will reportedly face stiff competition from a Chinese Super League club if they're to secure the signing of Raul Jimenez from Benfica.
According to Record (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness), a club in China is ready to stump up a whopping €50 million (£42.8 million) to land the Mexico international.
In the piece, interest from Liverpool is also acknowledged, although it's noted the Reds would not be looking to do a deal in January for the forward, with a summer switch preferred.
Jimenez has found some decent form for Benfica this season. Although he has only started four games in the Portuguese top flight, he's been among the goals, as we can see here:
Given Jimenez is by no means a guaranteed starter at Benfica, if a sum of money as aforementioned was offered for the player, it's a bid they would surely be willing to accept.
After all, the 25-year-old has never quite lived up to the encouraging early potential he showcased during his time with Club America; he spent just one season with Atletico Madrid before he was moved on to Benfica in 2015, and he's yet to find much in terms of consistency at the Estadio da Luz.
For Liverpool, he would offer something different. Already this season the striker has shown he can be a threat off the bench, with teams in Portugal finding it tough to cope with his physicality. Jimenez, however, doesn't possess the mobility needed to lead the line for a Jurgen Klopp side.
Additionally, the Reds will surely not be willing to go up against a club from China willing to part with that kind of money for the Mexican. Jimenez is a talented player and, with the right guidance, could become a very effective striker. However, he's done little to justify being worth such an extortionate amount.
Dries Mertens Latest
Napoli winger and reported Liverpool target Dries Mertens was coy when quizzed on the prospect of signing a new deal with the club recently.
According to CalcioMercato.com, the player was poised to pen fresh terms with the Partenopei amid interest from the Reds, Manchester United and Everton. However, when asked about any progress made over an extension by Il Mattino (h/t CalcioMercato.com), the Belgium international's response was simply "we'll see."
The report noted that Everton have made a €15 million (£12.85 million) bid for the 29-year-old already, although that amount is unlikely to convince Napoli to sell.
That's because Mertens has been in the form of his life this season. Here's a look at some of his best moments of the campaign:
Mertens has always been a very handy footballer, capable of producing moments of brilliance from wide positions. But an injury to Arkadiusz Milik early in the campaign means he's been used as a centre-forward this term, and he's excelled.
As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, December in particular was a month to remember for the Belgian:
While Jimenez would not immediately fit into the way Liverpool play under Klopp, Mertens would. His technical ability, turn of speed, versatility and newfound ruthlessness in front of goal would make him a very smart addition.
Should contract negotiations rumble on, the Reds may feel as though they have a chance of securing Mertens on the cheap next summer, with his deal set to expire in 2018. However, plenty points toward a Napoli stay as things stand, and it's unlikely the Serie A side would be ready to part with a player who's become so important to their plans.
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