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Report: Liverpool can agree £29.6million fee for Georginio Wijnaldum replacement – Klopp has said he could make signings

METZ, FRANCE - APRIL 09: Renato Sanches of Lille walks in the field during the Ligue 1 match between FC Metz and Lille OSC at Stade Saint-Symphorien on April 9, 2021 in Metz, France.

According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha, Liverpool can agree a £29.6m fee to sign Renato Sanches to replace Georginio Wijnaldum.

Liverpool returned to Anfield for a friendly against La Liga outfit Atheltic Bilbao on Sunday and while several talking points emerged, the most interesting one came after the game.

Speaking at his press conference, Jurgen Klopp said: “I am very happy with the squad, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t look at the market.

“But as long as nothing happens, I am more than happy with the squad I have. I am more than happy with the players I have.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 08: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the pre season friendly match between Liverpool and Athletic Club at Anfield on August 08, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 08: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Diogo Jota of Liverpool celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the pre season friendly match between Liverpool and Athletic Club at Anfield on August 08, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

“We have so many things that you cannot sign. You cannot sign our counter-pressing, you cannot sign our atmosphere that we create in the stadium, you cannot sign Anfield, you cannot sign our anthem.

“You cannot sign a lot of things and that’s what we have to use. There are other approaches out there, obviously, and we have influence on that. Our situation is like it is.

“We have a big squad and there might be something happening until the end of the transfer window, but I cannot say anything about that at the moment.”

Liverpool have been very quiet in the transfer market as far as incomings are concerned ever since Ibrahima Konate arrived from RB Leipzig.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - AUGUST 06: (THE SUN OUT. THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during a Table Tennis Tournament at Their Pre-Season Training Camp on August 06, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE – AUGUST 06: (THE SUN OUT. THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during a Table Tennis Tournament at Their Pre-Season Training Camp on August 06, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

However, things should pick up if we are to trust Klopp’s hint and now a report from Correio da Manha claims that Liverpool can agree a fee of €35 million (£29.6m) to sign Renato Sanches from Lille.

While this may be true nothing has changed for Klopp and sporting director Michael Edwards insofar as they still need to sell one of Xherdan Shaqiri or Divock Origi first.

It’s not purely a case of needing to free up funds as we saw the Reds spend a lot more than they sold and it’s more a case of needing to free up space in the squad for non-homegrown players.

All the players linked with Liverpool this summer, bar one or two, have been from outside the UK, and so it makes sense that the Reds need to move on their EU talent before they can sign players from abroad.