Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Rumours, Top Players Wanted by Jurgen Klopp

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Liverpool ^[1] are poised to miss out on Borussia Dortmund ^[2] man Ilkay Gundogan this summer, with the player reportedly close to joining Manchester City ^[3].

According to the Sun (h/t Luke Gardener ^[4] of the Daily Star), a deal to take the Germany international to the Etihad Stadium is done, meaning both the Reds and Arsenal ^[5] will be left disappointed. City's next manager, Pep Guardiola, has already reportedly met with the player ahead of a potential transfer, per Gardener's report.

BT Sport's Matt Smith has also said the deal is done:

I gather #Gundogan to #ManchesterCity is all done. @MCFC @premierleague ^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]
— Matt Smith (@msmith850) April 15, 2016 ^[10]

Gundogan is a player who came on massively under the guidance of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during the pair's stint together with Borussia Dortmund. Here is a look at what he can offer:

The midfielder was arguably the most important player in the side as BVB cemented themselves as one of the best teams in Germany and Europe.

For the way in which Klopp set the team up, he was perfect. Gundogan was so adept at moving the ball quickly through the lines, which was vital as Dortmund sought to win possession back high up the pitch and use it quickly to exploit an opponent's weaknesses. It's easy to comprehend why he'd want to bring him to Anfield.

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Klopp brought out the best from Gundogan at Dortmund.

As these numbers from WhoScored.com illustrate, the German international is also a player who relishes committing opposition defenders:

Ilkay Gündogan: Of players to attempt 50+ dribbles in the Bundesliga this season, only 2 have better success than Gündogan (68.4%)
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) April 11, 2016 ^[13]

While he's a player who's tailored to Klopp's blueprint for playing the game, the same applies to Guardiola. Gundogan is an extremely intelligent and adaptable footballer, and while City have a clutch of quality midfield players, none are quite as capable of offering the same playmaking skills as the 25-year-old.

If there was genuine interest from the Reds, then they'll be disappointed to have missed out, of course. But Klopp proved at Dortmund he's capable of building and refining a team almost from scratch. So while Gundogan would have been a coup, expect the former BVB boss to have plenty more targets to turn to.

Liverpool Looking at Khouma Babacar

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According to Calciomercato ^[14] (h/t Joe Barnes ^[15] of Metro) Liverpool have been keeping a close eye on Khouma Babacar from Fiorentina ^[16], with Klopp said to be keen to add to his options up front.

Barnes' piece noted the 23-year-old rejected the chance to move to Manchester United ^[17] in 2009 as a youngster before going on to sign for La Viola.

Here is a glimpse at what he could bring to the Premier League:

What Klopp does with Liverpool's options up front in the summer will be intriguing. While he has talented players in the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke ^[20] and Danny Ings, there are question marks over them all, whether that be in terms of fitness—in the case of Sturridge and Ings—or how they fit into his style of play.

In Divock Origi, Klopp does seem to have a gem at his disposal, though, as Fox Sports' Keith Costigan noted recently:

Origi was excellent. Great link up play, a willing runner and took the vital opening goal well. Deserved his start
— keith costigan (@KeithCostigan) April 15, 2016 ^[21]

Does Klopp need to bring another striker to Anfield?

Babacar is a player in a similar mould. Young, hard-working and dynamic with the ball at his feet, it's easy to see the merits of getting him on board.

But Liverpool need a natural goalscorer, with none of the strikers mentioned in double figures for the season yet. Babacar, for all his talents, isn't a natural finisher, with just five Serie A goals in 18 appearances this term. If the Reds want to challenge at the summit of the Premier League in 2016-17, they need to be chasing a higher calibre of forward.