Liverpool have rejected a £6 million bid for youngster Bobby Clark from Salzburg, the new home of former assistant manager Pep Lijnders.
Clark enjoyed a memorable season in 2023/24, having made 12 senior appearances, scored his first senior goal and picked up a League Cup winners’ medal.
The 19-year-old has been unable to be involved in pre-season to date due to a back injury, but he has been working with the under-21s this week while Arne Slot and Co. are Stateside.
That has not stopped interest in his services for the upcoming season, and the Echo‘s Paul Gorst reports Liverpool have rejected a £6 million bid from Salzburg.
Lijnders is “understood to be the driving force behind the Austrian side’s advances,” with the Mail‘s Lewis Steele adding that they “are pushing hard” for a deal.
Norwich, Leeds, Sheffield United and Coventry City are all credited with interest in Clark, as well as Celtic and Rangers.
Understandably, though, Slot “wants to get a closer look” at the teenager before any move is sanctioned – the theme of the summer as the new head coach assesses what he inherited first-hand.
Gorst adds that Liverpool would want “offers north of £12 million to think about a permanent departure,” while Clark himself is “open to a loan move” to expose himself to regular first-team football.
It has been no secret that Lijnders holds Clark in high regard having namechecked the former Newcastle youngster on multiple occasions while at Anfield.
The Dutchman took the top job at Salzburg this summer and got off to the perfect start by winning his opening league game against Grazer AK on Friday evening.
Vitor Matos, who played a key role in Clark’s rise from the academy to the first team, is Lijnders’ right-hand man at Salzburg.
Interest for other youngsters
Liverpool’s transfer decisions will come to a head in the coming weeks as Slot has his final say on the makeup of his squad.
But Clark is not the only youngster attracting interest, as clubs across England and Europe have Tyler Morton on their radar.
Steele reports that “Leipzig are seen as the frontrunners” for the 21-year-old, while Serie A’s Atalanta are described as “keen” on the midfielder – though Liverpool will not let him go cheaply.
Moreover, James McConnell, Kaide Gordon and Ben Doak are all attracting loan interest.
