20 hours ago
29
RB Leipzig are keen on securing Harvey Elliott as Xavi Simons' replacement this summer, with the latter closing in on a move to Chelsea.
The German side have made contact with Liverpool and are in discussions with the player as they attempt to persuade the Reds' attacking midfielder to join their project. It comes with former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp now working as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, Leipzig's owners.
Elliott, 22, remains a devoted Liverpool supporter and is hesitant to abandon his ambitions of representing his beloved club - however, he would consider a departure if it offers greater opportunities for regular first-team football. Fans spotted a potential exit hint after the recent friendly against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield.
The youngster confronts significant competition at Anfield following the arrival of Florian Wirtz, whilst Jeremie Frimpong provides cover for Mo Salah on the right flank.
Leipzig will endeavour to persuade Elliott that they represent the ideal destination for his next career step before engaging in more comprehensive negotiations with Liverpool, reports the Mirror.
The Bundesliga outfit are poised to offload Simons to Chelsea for in excess of £60 million ($79.76 million). They're also expected to generate more than £70 million ($93.05 million) from Benjamin Sesko's departure, with Manchester United and Newcastle battling for the striker's services.
Last June, Elliott received encouragement from Jermain Defoe to 'get out and play' following his contribution to England U21s successfully defending their European Championship title. Speaking on Channel 4 after Elliott's decisive brace against the Netherlands in the semi-final, Defoe commented: "There'll be a lot of clubs watching this tournament.
"We said it before, he's too good to not be playing. When you're producing in big tournaments like this against the best players, the two goals that we saw this evening, he's a top, top player.
"For him, he just needs to go out and play, get himself in a team where he's one of the main players, and just go out and express yourself and show how good you are because this performance tonight, it's amazing."
Joe Cole, also providing analysis for Channel 4, echoed his former England teammate's sentiments. He stated: "I love the lad. I think he plays football the right way and I'm really excited for him. Not just for this final, but I'm excited for his future as well, for next year.
"He's done a great job for Liverpool, and if he decides to move on, I still feel there's levels. For a player to come to a tournament and do what he's done, there's levels for him to go up again, and I'd love to see him playing with that kind of passion and happiness on his face every week."
English (US) ·