Klopp sent scouts to watch Osimhen play for Nigeria as talk of January transfer intensifies

LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp stepped up his pursuit of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen during the recent Fifa international break by sending scouts to watch him play for Nigeria against Saudi Arabia in Portugal.

Last Friday, Nigeria played a 2-2 draw with the Saudis in Faro, Portugal and with the January transfer window fast looming, Mr Klopp decided to have him watched. Osimhen, 24, had a recent altercation with his club Napoli, after he was caricatured on social media for missing a penalty and the development has hastened talk of him leaving.

Apparently, Chelsea and Arsenal are both looking to sign Arsenal during the January window if possible and it now looks like Liverpool has entered the fray too. Unfortunately for Liverpool, Osimhen suffered an injury in Portugal and had to hobble off the pitch in the 59th minute and is now set for a few weeks on the sidelines.

Earlier this year, Napoli was demanding a fee as high as £150m for Osimhen and there is no sign that the club will reduce its demands any time soon. If Liverpool really want to sign Osimhen, they will most certainly have to break their transfer record, the £85.36m paid for Darwin Nunez in 2022.