Liverpool will reportedly rival Chelsea for the signing of Inter midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, with a £18.5m fee being touted for the Frenchman.
The former Monaco star has struggled to live up to expectations since his switch to the San Siro last year, as he has failed to reach top form and has suffered as a result of fierce competition in midfield.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the combative midfielder is available for transfer, while the Metro add that the Nerazzurri are unhappy with the 23-year-old and are ready to offload him in the January transfer window.
Although they are willing to let him leave in an initial loan deal until the end of the season, it is said that any deal will have an option-to-buy clause included worth £18.5m.
As per the report, it’s claimed that Liverpool are now said to be at the front of the queue, but it remains to be seen whether or not a switch to Anfield suits both parties.
Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly be exploring his options in January in order to ensure that his side maintain their momentum after a strong start to the campaign and continue to challenge for the Premier League title.
Sunday’s setback against Bournemouth will have been a major blow to the confidence within the squad after they surrendered a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 against Eddie Howe’s side which in turn saw them fall four points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
Adding steel in midfield in the form of Kondogbia would seem like a sensible move, however, it could be argued that there are more pressing matters in the squad, most notably the defence which has the worst defensive record of the top eight clubs in the Premier League table.
A move would also make sense for Antonio Conte who is looking to add depth beyond Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante in the Chelsea midfield.