Liverpool scouts watch exciting $235m transfer trio as FSG ‘talks collapse’ for buying new club

FSG talks have supposedly stalled over adding a new club to its portfolio while Liverpool is taking a look at three players who it could sign in the summer. Here’s your round-up of the latest Reds news.

FSG ‘talks collapse’

Talks have collapsed between FSG and Toulouse over a deal to buy the Ligue 1 side, Football Insider reports. CEO of football Michael Edwards was supposedly looking at the French side to add to the Liverpool owners’ portfolio.

FSG is looking to move towards the multi-club model, as is common now within the European game, and France is one of the options that makes sense in terms of where there is a lot of existing young talent. Portugal would be another logical country to target.

The report adds that Liverpool is looking elsewhere in France, even if a deal for Toulouse isn’t going to happen. Toulouse is majority-owned by RedBird Capital, which holds an 11 per cent stake in FSG.

The two sides met in the Europa League group phase with Liverpool winning 5-1 at Anfield and Toulouse securing a famous win on home turf. Toulouse’s director of football is Damien Comolli, who was previously with the Reds.

‘Scouts in Portugal to watch $235m trio’

Liverpool had scouts in Portugal over the weekend to keep an eye on three Sporting CP players, according to HITC. Rúben Amorim’s men won 3-0 against fifth-placed Vitória de Guimarães.

Supposedly, the Reds had people in attendance to watch 34-goal striker Viktor Gyökeres, holding midfielder Morten Hjulmand, and left-footed center-back Gonçalo Inácio. Between them, they have release clauses worth a total of $235m (£190m/€220m).

Gyökeres is having an excellent season but it remains to be seen if another forward is needed at Anfield this summer. Liverpool already has Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo who can play through the middle. A defensive midfielder and a center-back feel like more likely targets, though it will depend partly on who the next manager is to be.

Earlier today, it emerged via The Athletic that Liverpool was ‘unlikely’ to land on Amorim as its next head coach amid the extensive search for a replacement for Jürgen Klopp. West Ham has instead held talks with the 39-year-old.

But that is not to say that the Reds couldn’t sign some players from Sporting. The Lisbon club is set to win the Portuguese title and has earned many plaudits for the impressive attacking football that it plays.