Jose Mourinho's move to Roma could open the door for a Liverpool deal.
The Reds have long been linked with the Italian club’s midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, who scored in the Europa League semi-final clash with Manchester United last week.
Pellegrini is currently acting captain at the club, but he has still to agree a new deal, which has been on the table since Christmas.
Crucially, he now has a little over a year on his current contract...and Mourinho has already made clear he wants several new signings in midfield.
Amid links to their new manager's former players Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nemanja Matic, Roma have yet to agree a contract extension with the Italy international, or removed a release clause of around £25m in the 24-year-old’s contract.
If he doesn’t sign by the summer, then he will be sold - and he fits the bill perfectly for the Reds, who are likely to be in the market for Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement, with the Dutchman now certain to leave in the summer at the end of his contract.
Pellegrini has impressive stats, both in scoring and creating from midfield, an area where Liverpool are looking to improve their output next season.
While the Reds are now scouring the market for summer signings - with central defence a top priority and RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate now firmly on the radar, at a release clause of around £30m - they could yet get some players back this season.
Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have all stepped up their rehab with some sustained ball work on the grass at Liverpool’s Kirkby training ground, to offer hope of a return, though manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he will not rush anyone back.
And centre back Nat Phillips has trained all week without a reaction to confirm his fitness ahead of the weekend game with Southampton.
