Liverpool are set to step up their interest in Sadio Mane after failing to land Mario Gotze.
Jurgen Klopp turned his attention to the Southampton forward, who scored against the Reds in last season’s Premier League encounter at Anfield, in the wake of Gotze’s decision to remain with Bayern Munich.
Mane would become the fifth Southampton player to move to Anfield in three successive summers, following the previous captures of Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Rickie Lambert.
But the 24-year-old would come at a typically hefty premium, with the currently manager-less Saints are set to demand a fee in the region of £30 million to part with the player.
Another stumbling block is the delay in St Marys officials appointing a successor to Ronald Koeman, who left the South Coast club in favour of Everton earlier this month.
The prospective signing of Mane is likely to be accompanied by the long-awaited capture of Piotr Zielinski, with the Polish midfielder set to join from Udinese shortly.