Liverpool could have to fork out £40million to sign Southampton striker Sadio Mane, according to The Sun on Sunday.
The Saints are holding firm over their Senegalese forward, who scored 11 goals in the Premier League last term.
Jurgen Klopp wants to add another striker to his squad to provide cover for the injury-prone Daniel Sturridge.
24-year-old Mane is key to Southampton’s attack, but he could be part of a players’ exodus following manager Ronald Koeman’s move to Everton.
Victor Wanyama is expected to join Spurs (as per the Mirror), while Mane’s fellow striker Shane Long has also been linked with a move away from St Mary’s.
It seems unlikely that Liverpool would be willing to pay as much as £40million, but Southampton may be forced to lower that price tag if Mane shows sufficient will to leave.
His proposed move to Manchester United last season never came off, but this time around, with Southampton managerless, they may be powerless to stop him if Liverpool do decide to break the bank.
Klopp’s philosophy so far at Anfield has been to give younger players the chance to develop, and that has paid off up front with Belgian Divock Origi breaking into the first team.
However, given that the Reds only came 8th last season, something clearly has to change on Merseyside.
The German boss is being given money to spend to arrest their slump in recent years, so his youth policy may be overruled by the club’s hierarchy.
He has a track record of operating on a tight budget from his time at Borussia Dortmund, but it looks like he will have a very different way of operating at Liverpool.
If they continue with their pursuit of Mane now that Southampton have named their price, it will certainly mark a big change in the way Klopp conducts his business.
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