Liverpool are hoping to seal a deal for Newcastle United midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum in the next few days, with a fee in the region of £20 million having been touted.

The Reds have given up hope of signing AC Milan-bound Piotr Zielinski while they are no closer to convincing Borussia Monchengladbach to part with 20-year-old Mahmoud Dahoud.

As a result, Jürgen Klopp has turned his attentions to Netherlands international Wijnaldum, who has attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs since Newcastle's relegation to the Championship.

But Liverpool have reportedly moved ahead of Merseyside rivals Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign the 25-year-old as Klopp looks to tie up a deal for the Dutchman.

Wijnaldum only signed for Newcastle from PSV Eindhoven in July last year, sealing a £14.5 million move from the Eredivisie champions and becoming the most expensive signing under Mike Ashley's ownership at the club in the process.

Across his maiden campaign, in which Newcastle slipped to the second-tier after an 18th-placed finish, Wijnaldum provided five assists and 11 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions - including a stunning four-goal haul against Norwich City.

Another of those goals came against Liverpool back in a 2-0 win at St James' Park in December, with Wijnaldum also having netted against ChelseaManchester United and Tottenham throughout the course of the campaign.

Liverpool look to Wijnaldum to bolster midfield 

The Express' Paul Joyce reports that Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, who spent six years at Anfield and inspired the club to their Champions League triumph of 2005, could look for one of the club's youngsters on loan in return.

Having shown interest in Jordon Ibe, who instead left for Bournemouth in a £15 million deal earlier in the week, he is thought to be keen on Sheyi Ojo - although he could have a part to play in Klopp's first-team plans for the coming campaign.

Wijnaldum is a different kind of player to Klopp's previous midfield targets, with the German having been keen on a controlling player for the centre, with Gladbach's Dahoud his first-choice option.

However, they could not persuade his Bundesliga employers to do business despite being prepared to pay over £25 million for his services.

Wijnaldum clearly left a lasting impression on Klopp last season. (Picture: Getty Images)
Wijnaldum clearly left a lasting impression on Klopp last season. (Picture: Getty Images)

Wijnaldum's versatility - his ability to play in a number of positions including central attacking midfield and in a deeper midfield position - as well as his technical ability and energetic running would help to add much-needed extra competition for places.

However, with such strength in depth behind the striker - Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino among their existing options in that position - Wijnaldum is far from guaranteed game time.

His arrival would however likely spell the end of Joe Allen's career at Anfield, with the 26-year-old - who has just one year remaining on his current contract - subject to interest from various clubs.

The Magpies are understood to be looking for around £27 million for their No.5, but Liverpool are confident that they can come to an agreement closer to £20 million - though the two will negotiate the terms of any deal in the next few days.

Klopp has the finances at his disposal in order to reach a conclusion for Wijnaldum, with some reports suggesting Liverpool want to have him signed up so that he could join their pre-season tour of North America. They fly out to the States on Thursday, with their first game against Chelsea on Wednesday 27 July.

Reds making various moves as Klopp strengthens side

By then, all of the club's internationals will have joined up with the first-team squad - including Euro 2016 semi-finalists Joe Allen of Wales and Emre Can of Germany - Klopp confirmed after their 2-0 pre-season victory over Wigan Athletic on Sunday. 

Liverpool are also closing in on a £4.2 million move for Augsburg defender Ragnar Klavan as a reinforcements for the centre of defence, following injuries to Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez over the past week.

Joel Matip also limped off in the final few minutes of the Reds' win over Championship side Wigan, though Klopp dismissed his recurring ankle problem as only "a minor injury."

The club could hand a contract to 39-year-old veteran goalkeeper Alex Manninger in the coming weeks, replacing Adam Bogdan as third-choice back-up.

Once a move for Klavan has been sealed, Liverpool will look to sign a left-sided defender - with their pursuit of Leicester City's Ben Chilwell hitting a stumbling block over the two club's valuations of the 19-year-old, who has yet to make his league debut.

The reigning Premier League champions will refuse to part with the player unless Liverpool raise their £7 million offer, which was thought to be £5 million upfront with £2 million in add-ons, to around £10 million.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.