Liverpool transfers: Koopmeiners hope as Juve learn asking price for 'Plan B'

Juventus are known to be rivalling Liverpool in the running for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. 

The Dutch international has just suffered a major injury blow and has been ruled out of the forthcoming European Championship. 

However, the 26-year-old should be back fit and raring to go once the new season commences, but there is considerable uncertainty over where he will be playing his football next term. 

The former AZ player has made it known to his club that he would like them to consider a good offer, should one materialise, with La Dea expecting to receive between €60 million and €70m for Koopmeiners. 

That sum was known to be a little too rich for Juve, who had been hoping to spend closer to €40m on him. 

It had been reported that Juve were even willing to throw some players into the deal in order to reduce the outlay with the likes of Matias Soule and Dean Huijsen some of the names in the frame to go to Bergamo. 

However, no deal has yet been reached, despite Koopmeiners’ well-expressed wish to remain in Serie A as a preference. 

Juventus want Douglas Luiz

A failure to make the breakthrough had led Juve to exploring a series of Plan B options, with Aston Villa playmaker Douglas Luiz emerging as a genuine target.

Unai Emery’s side are facing a bit of financial headwind and could do with offloading some top earners in order to comply. 

Luiz has also found himself on Liverpool’s list of potential candidates should they be unable to prise Koopmeiners out of Atalanta. 

Although the Reds’ interest in the Dutchman predates Arne Slot’s appointment as new head coach, the 45-year-old is credited with igniting Koopmeiners’ career during the pair’s AZ days, leading to a high-profile transfer to the Italian top flight. 

And the latest reports from Italy indicate that Villa have now named their price for Luiz. 

Villa want Iling-Junior and McKennie

While Juve have got no chance of achieving the £60m or so that Villa director Monchi would be seeking for their Brazil international, Juve are hoping to repeat the player exchange trick they attempted with Atalanta. 

To that extent it’s been revealed by Gianluca di Marzio that Villa are demanding €20m for Luiz along with Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie. 

Neither is a stranger to life in England with Iling-Junior making it all the way to the under-19 age group with Chelsea before opting for a move to Juventus. 

McKennie meanwhile endured a torrid loan spell at Leeds last season as the Yorkshire side suffered relegation. 

If a deal can be done, that would be good news for Liverpool in their chase for Koopmeiners.

With Juventus moving on to activate their Plan B, the path could be cleared to land a long-term transfer target and kick-start the summer window.