Spanish side to RIVAL Liverpool for top midfield target

Arne Slot and Richard Hughes are looking to strengthen the side that have just been named Premier League champions, but that won’t be easy.

Liverpool have been the most dominant side in the English topflight this season and as such the quality of player they must bring in to get stronger is very high.

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The standard of names being linked with an Anfield switch right across the pitch is arguably the highest it has ever been.

The problem with chasing players with such quality is that there is often fierce competition, and that is now the case for one of Liverpool’s top summer targets.

Liverpool face competition for key midfield target

A number of positions are set to be addressed in the summer, and one area that Liverpool’s recruitment team has identified for reinforcement is the defensive midfield.

Ryan Gravenberch has done a fantastic job for the Reds this season but he has done so alone, starting the vast majority of matches and facing a workload that is unsustainable over the course of a few seasons.

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Gravenberch’s position in the team isn’t under threat, but bringing in a capable backup could take the load off the Dutchman and allow him to continue to thrive at Anfield.

Anfield Watch understands that top of the list of targets for this position is Athletic Bilbao star Mikel Jauregizar.

The club’s scouts have identified Jauregizar as the ideal destroyer for Slot’s midfield, and a move is being eyed up this summer.

The Reds aren’t the only team in the hunt for the 21-year-old however, and a new report from Spain has confirmed the Reds’ interest in Jauregizar as well as revealing who else is in the hunt.

According to Fichajes, Villarreal are the other team ready to compete with Liverpool for the signing of Jauregizar, with the Spanish outfit preparing for the possible departure of Alex Baena.

The report also states that Athletic club are preparing a new contract offer for Jauregizar, who is open to remaining with his current side.

It seems fair to assume that Liverpool will be able to beat any financial offer Villarreal put forward, but the Spanish side will likely be able to guarantee more playing time and offer a chance for Jauregizar to stay in his homeland.

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Villarreal’s interest in Jauregizar certainly makes a deal more complicated, but it doesn’t rule anything out, and a deal for the 21-year-old is firmly still on the cards at Anfield this summer.