Liverpool are ramping up their scouting efforts under new sporting director Richard Hughes to pick up the best young talents across the world.
The Merseyside giants are keen to learn from their mistakes of last summer and are prepared to spend big on first-team-ready talents in the upcoming transfer window.
Signing a new defensive midfielder is on their agenda for January and the club are also looking at strengthening other areas of their squad as well.
The Reds could be looking for players to replace stalwarts like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk next summer but they are also keeping tabs on highly-rated young talents.
The club are in the market for youngsters whose prices are likely to shoot up in the coming years and Liverpool want to sign him before that happens.
They snapped up the highly-rated Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea in the summer and are now looking at a similar talent in Serbia.
Liverpool in the race for ‘Serbian Messi’
Andrija Maksimovic recently started for Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League and also became the youngest player to earn a cap for Serbia in the recent international break.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder, dubbed the ‘Serbian Messi’, is seen as one of the most exciting prospects in European football at the moment.
According to German broadcaster Sky Deutschland, Liverpool are amongst the clubs who are interested in getting their hands on the teenager.
Manchester City and Juventus have also been keeping tabs on the player but Borussia Dortmund are the club who have made an enquiry for the player.
Early talks have already taken place between Dortmund and Red Star Belgrade but nothing concrete is yet to happen and there have been no negotiations with the player yet.
Dortmund are known for being the breeding ground for young talent and they are looking to leverage that reputation to sign Maksimovic in the upcoming windows.
Liverpool are keeping an eye on him and could make a move soon to get ahead in the race to sign the 17-year-old.
