With time running out, Liverpool are desperately trying to tie up a marquee signing on deadline day.
Ukrainian international winger Yevhen Konoplyanka has been locked in talks with Liverpool’s Managing Director Ian Ayre all day in Ukraine, as the Dnipro attacker is trying to hammer out the deal make the switch to the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur had been linked extensively with Konoplyanka, but after Liverpool were gazumped by Chelsea in their recent attempts to sign Mohamed Salah, it’s thought the Anfield club are now willing to go the extra mile to bag the exciting winger they want.
Liverpool are hopeful of pushing through the move before the 11pm (GMT) deadline, as the 24-year-old star has been discussing personal terms and his apparent wage demands have created a stumbling block. But with the Reds so close to grabbing a player that will vastly improve their chances of making the top four, surely it’ worth going that little bit extra to grab Konoplyanka.
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Speaking earlier on Friday, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was hopeful the deal would get done.
“The timeline is tight but the club are working hard to make it happen and I’m still hopeful. We will have to wait and see.”
In recent World Cup qualifiers against England Konoplyanka gave Kyle Walker a torrid time when he dazzled on the left flank. The Dnipro star can play on either wing or through the middle and has a devastating burst of pace that would really suit Liverpool’s high-pressure approach and fit in with the attacking style of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
Konoplyanka has apparently undergone a medical in Ukraine and all the loose ends are frantically being tied up by Liverpool’s team of negotiators out in Eastern Europe.
It’s thought this deal could go right down to the wire. Liverpool fans… hold your breath.