An update has emerged on Liverpool's search for another addition in the central midfield position during the summer transfer window…
What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?
According to Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy, the Reds have "looked at" signing Atalanta maestro Teun Koopmeiners ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, adding: "They do love a surprise, stealth signing."
The reporter has listed the Netherlands international as one of several players in that position that the club have considered following the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Joao Palhinha, Nicolo Barella, Romeo Lavia, and Ryan Gravenberch have also been named as manager Jurgen Klopp attempts to restructure his midfield options after the Merseyside giants failed to secure Champions League football for next season.
How good is Teun Koopmeiners?
The talented 6-foot technician, who has been valued at up to €40m (£34m) by Atalanta, has proven himself to be an excellent performer in the middle of the park during his time in Italy.
Koopmeiners is able to carry a significant attacking threat from a no.8 position and his presence in midfield could make current Liverpool star Mohamed Salah even better.
The Dutchman's ability to create chances for his teammates regularly could provide the Egypt international with more opportunities to punish teams at the top end of the pitch.
Salah scored 19 Premier League goals for the Reds last season after 23 and 22 throughout the previous two top-flight campaigns combined.
Bringing in a player with the quality to open up the opposition's defence week-in-week-out could allow the former AS Roma winger to work his way back to more than 20 league strikes next term.
No central midfielder – with at least five starts – managed more than Thiago Alcantara's 0.9 key passes per Premier League game last season for Klopp.
Koopmeiners, meanwhile, produced 1.8 per match for Atalanta throughout the Serie A campaign, which would have placed him second – only behind Trent Alexander-Arnold (1.9) – within the Liverpool squad.
These statistics suggest that the 25-year-old dynamo has the quality to be an excellent addition to the German manager's array of engine room options, due to his impressive ability to create chances regularly.
Therefore, Salah could subsequently increase his goal tally even more by being able to advantage of more opportunities falling his way thanks to the Dutchman's creative passing.
Koopmeiners, who was once hailed as an "orchestrator" by scout Jacek Kulig, carries a goal threat from midfield too, and could take some of the attention away from the likes of Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Cody Gakpo as defenders would need to be wary of his attacking potential.
The former AZ Alkmaar star plundered ten strikes across 33 Serie A matches for Atalanta last season, whilst he also managed 26 Eredivisie goals across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns before his move to Italy.
Meanwhile, only Salah (19) and Roberto Firmino (11) reached double figures for league goals last term for Liverpool, which suggests that £34m-valued target could be an excellent addition to bolster Klopp's firepower over the coming months.
Therefore, Koopmeiners has the serious potential to be a fantastic signing for the Premier League outfit, whilst also having the ability to help Salah improve his output in front of goal to get him back to his previous levels.
