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What's the rumour?
As per reports from Sky Sports, Barcelona are weighing up a potential move for Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The 30-year-old is surplus to requirements at Anfield, having lost his No. 1 spot to Loris Karius last season and falling further down the pecking order in the wake of Alisson's acquisition from Roma.
In case you didn't know...
Besiktas have also contacted Liverpool with regard to Mignolet last week, but they have not yet followed it up with any firm offer.
The Belgian's contract with the Reds runs out in 2021.
The heart of the matter
Mignolet joined Liverpool after impressing at Sunderland in 2013, but he has since struggled for form and consistency. Last season, he even lost his starting spot to Loris Karius and that situation is hardly likely to improve with the world-record signing of Alisson from Roma.
Consequently, Mignolet’s agent, Nico Vaesen, has confirmed that he’s looking for a solution for the keeper’s lack of game time at Anfield, but insists that staying in Liverpool is an option. In an interview with the Belgian news outlet Walfoot, he suggested that the arrival of Alisson will have no impact on Mignolet’s future.
It doesn't change the situation [Alisson's arrival]. Our goal is to find a solution for Simon to play and Alisson's arrival doesn't change that. We know that a player of €60-70million won't find himself on the bench. We are looking at the situation and looking for a solution to his playing time. There are options, the next few days will be decisive.
Presently, Marc-André ter Stegen is the first-choice keeper for the Catalan giants with Jasper Cillessen acting as backup.
Nevertheless, the latter is reportedly seeking a move away from the club, which is why Barcelona is eyeing Mignolet as an able replacement for Cillessen.
Rumour probability/rating: 8/10
Sky Sports is a pretty reliable source in terms of transfer news and given the circumstantial evidence, this looks like a deal that's going to happen.
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What's next?
With the transfer window closing in 10 days for English clubs, Barcelona will have to get cracking if they wish to make this deal happen.
