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According to Sportmediaset, Liverpool had a giant offer worth €57 million for Juventus defender Merih Demiral rejected on transfer deadline day.
Liverpool are going through a massive injury crisis at the back this season. Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have already been ruled out of the ongoing season.
Liverpool have had 12 different centre-back partnerships in the league as a result.
They have been forced to play midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho and youngsters like Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips in the defence this season.
Jurgen Klopp was insistent that Liverpool sign a centre-back in this window, as they look to compete with Manchester City and Manchester United for the title.
According to the Sportsmediaset report, one of Liverpool’s many targets was the highly-rated Juventus defender Merih Demiral.
Demiral has started to work his way back into the Juventus squad this season after suffering a long-term knee injury in January 2020.
The Turkish international has only started six of the 19 league games for Juventus. He would have had more game-time at Anfield, at least this season.
The report claimed that Liverpool had tabled an offer worth €57 million on deadline – an enticing offer for Juventus given the financial challenges in the current economic climate.
Nonetheless, Juventus had no interest in negotiating with the Reds.
They want Demiral to be a part of their future with stalwarts Chiellini and Bonucci approaching the end of their respective careers.
Liverpool sign Kabak
After a failed pursuit of Demiral, Liverpool had to look for alternatives and ended up singing not one but two defenders on the deadline day.
The first was Preston centre-back, Ben Davies, for a fee of £1.6 million. The more exciting of the two transfers however was that of Schalke defender Ozan Kabak.
Liverpool signed the Turkish international on a loan deal until the end of the season with the option to buy in the summer for £18 million.
Kabak won the Bundesliga rookie of the year award in 2018-19 and is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe.
