Liverpool have apparently been dealt a blow in their reported interest in RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer.
The Reds were heavily linked with a move for the Austria international in the closing days of the summer transfer window. However, no deal materialised, with Liverpool instead bringing in Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus.
Laimer was also heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich throughout the summer. But Leipzig were adamant in making sure that one of their key midfielders wouldn’t leave the club.
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Despite not allowing Laimer to depart, the player’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season. This means that he would be allowed to negotiate a free transfer to a club outside of Germany from January.
According to a fresh report from German news outlet Sport Bild, via BuliNews , Chelsea are looking at the possibility of signing Laimer and are joining Liverpool in the race for his signature. This follows on from separate reports from earlier this month which claimed that Chelsea had agreed a deal in principle for the signing of Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku.
The report goes a step further by stating that, despite Chelsea apparently entering the race, a move to Bayern appears the most likely. It has been claimed that a verbal agreement has been reached between the two club for Laimer to move to Munich at the end of the season.
Laimer has previously spoken about Liverpool’s reported interest in his services. The midfielder has also admitted that he has affections for the Reds from his time growing up.
“[Liverpool’s interest] wasn’t so hot that anything would have happened,” Laimer told Bild in September .
“A hasty departure is not my thing. If I were to change clubs, I would want to think it through and decide calmly, not overnight.
“Especially since the first half of the season is very short anyway due to the World Cup and you wouldn’t have had time to settle in and find your feet.
“The Premier League is nice, but for me it’s not a must. It’s much more important to me: how do people talk to me, what feeling do I have about something.”
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