Liverpool lead chase to sign Wolves midfielder Maria Lemina

21 August 2023 - 3:39 am

Liverpool are in dire need of a defensive midfielder following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who moved to the Saudi Pro League last month. The Reds have also lost Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following the expiration of their contracts in June.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are the only midfield additions made by Klopp this summer but at least two more players are expected to move to Anfield in the coming weeks.

Liverpool were desperate to sign Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia but they’ve missed out on both players to Chelsea. Klopp has now switched attention to alternative targets the Reds are closing in on Stuttgart skipper Wataru Endo after agreeing a £15m deal with the Bundesliga side.

However, Klopp is keen on adding another midfielder to his squad before the end of the summer transfer window and Lemina has emerged as an option for the German coach.

Competition

The Sun claims that Liverpool have joined the race to sign Lemina and are watching his situation closely. However, they’ll face competition as at least four other Premier League clubs are showing an interest in the 29-year-old.

Lemina moved to the Molineux Stadium from Ligue 1 side Nice in January and went on to feature in 20 games and provided one assist across all competitions. He played a crucial role in helping Wolves escape relegation by finishing 13th with 41 points.

Prior to his transfer to England, the Gabon international racked up 58 appearances, scored three goals, and provided one assist in all competitions for Nice. In his illustrious playing career, Lemina has played for Southampton, Olympique de Marseille, Juventus, Fulham, Galatasaray, and Lorient so far.

He was in action for Wolves in their 2023/24 Premier League opener against Manchester United last Monday. Lemina put in an impressive performance in the middle of the park during their unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

Lemina is valued at just £9m by Transfermarkt and would be a shrewd signing for Liverpool if they could get a deal done. However, he has two years left on his contract so Wolves are unlikely to sell unless a tempting offer is put on the table.