Liverpool had £25.5m bid for Napoli star rejected

Liverpool saw a bid of around €30m (£25.5m) rejected by Napoli for midfielder Eljif Elmas, according to one report.

The Reds' midfield rebuild was a much discussed topic over the summer. While Jurgen Klopp and co. ultimately ended up bringing in a quartet of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch for a combined total of around £145m, there has been talk of interest in a host of other players.

Liverpool's failed pursuits of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are well known, while the Reds dropped interest in Andre Trindade after seeing an enquiry knocked back for a summer deal.

It has also been speculated that the club may have had big-money bids rejected for Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes and Nicolo Barella.

Now Corriere dello Sport claim that the Reds were also turned down for another midfielder in Napoli's Elmas.

The Italian report suggests that both Liverpool and RB Leipzig made offers of around £25.5m for the 23-year-old North Macedonia international.

Napoli, however, didn't entertain the idea of a sale for Elmas, who scored six times in 36 Serie A outings in 2022/23, and responded with a 'firm and decisive no'.

Elmas, who joined Napoli from Fenerbahce in 2019, has a contract that runs until 2025.

While it remains to be seen whether the Reds will reignite any interest in the Napoli star in future windows, it has been reported that Inter star Barella could be available for 'around £77m' in 2024.