Liverpool linked with World Cup winner as star tells current club of desire to leave

Liverpool fans will face a nervous wait over the summer as they wait to see whether or not the Reds secure any new signings, as well as finding out if they can hold onto their prized assets after a dismal season. 

An early injury to Virgil van Dijk set the tone for the rest of Liverpool’s Premier League campaign as Jurgen Klopp’s side limped to a fourth-placed finish, narrowly securing Champions League qualification after a remarkable run of form in the final two months of the season.

With the club failing to follow up their back-to-back Champions League and Premier League triumphs, speculation had begun to build around the future of a number of the club’s stars.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane had both been tipped to follow Paris Saint-Germain bound Gini Wijnaldum out of the Anfield exit, with Real Madrid heavily linked with Salah.

However, Liverpool are also themselves being linked with a number of players, most recently Aston Villa’s John McGinn.

It appears, however, that the Reds have set their sights on one of Europe’s best players, and have been boosted by news that the player has told his current employers of his desire to leave.

According to the Daily Star, PSG star Kylian Mbappe has told the club that he wishes to leave this summer, and Liverpool are considered frontrunners for the Frenchman’s signature.

The report suggests that the 22-year-old had been expected to sign an extension to his current contract, which expires next year, but has now changed his mind and wants to leave.

Mbappe is yet to score for France at Euro 2020.

The former Monaco man, who scored in the 2018 World Cup final, would likely cost between £100-£150 million if the French giants were to sell.

Spanish outlet Marca reports that, according to Daniel Riolo, Mbappe has asked to leave and is currently unhappy at the club.

“I know that Mbappe asked to leave, but it is complicated because first you have to find a club that has the money to pay him, but the news is that he really does not want to stay,” he said.

“The player does not believe in Leonardo’s project. If he does not leave this summer, it will be for free next summer. And, in Doha, they do not want to hear about it.

“The news is that Mbappe does not want to stay at PSG.”

Although Reds fans will be encouraged by the reports surrounding Mbappe, it is extremely unlikely that the club could afford the player’s transfer fee, or the wages that he would demand.