Gossip: Liverpool put ‘elite’ £10m star on four-man shortlist

This is a Jadon Sancho-free zone. Get your latest on him here. For now, it’s all about Liverpool…

LEWIS CHANGE
Liverpool have never bought into the idea that a relegated player is a tainted one. Jurgen Klopp has built much of his side around players that struggled in lacklustre teams or under managers that knew not how to use a talent. And Jamal Lewis could follow the same path as Georginio Wijnaldum, Andy Robertson and many more before him.

The Reds are ‘most advanced in negotiations’ with Norwich for the left-back, despite interest from elsewhere. They have a further ‘advantage’ in the fact that Lewis is represented by the same company as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Liverpool are eager to sign competition for the latter, and see Lewis as having ‘great room for development’ but also ‘an elite attitude’. The Independent add that he returned from a holiday in Greece ‘to be in prime condition for a transfer’.

Speaking of, Kostas Tsimikas of Olympiakos is one of another three players on Liverpool’s left-back shortlist.

A ripe for the picking relegated Premier League XI

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE
The Times go a little further, suggesting that Norwich’s interest in Yasser Larouci could well be used to Liverpool’s advantage. Lewis is valued at £10m but that could be offset by a sale to the Canaries.

It is by no means certain that Lewis will accept a move to Anfield, as unlikely as that sounds. The Daily Mirror say ‘the only stumbling block’ would be persuading him to accept a lesser role behind Robertson, even if his versatility could lead to opportunities elsewhere.

David Maddock also tells us that Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly and the excellent Ben White of Leeds/Brighton are candidates to fill Klopp’s desire for a versatile and ‘young player with real potential to provide some competition’ at left-back.

Can White play there?

PIERRE PRESSURE
With Liverpool and Norwich potentially swapping Lewis and Larouci, why not finish with Tottenham and Southampton doing similar?

Sky Sports say they ‘have agreed deals in principle’ for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Kyle Walker-Peters, the former moving to north London for £15m and the latter moving further south permanently at £12m.

Bonuses, payment structure and personal terms are yet to be agreed but it sounds like a skeletal deal has been put in place. The Daily Telegraph are reporting the same and Fabrizio Romano says the Hojbjerg deal is ‘one step away’ from completion. Lovely.