Liverpool’s bid of €18m must rise up to €35m for Croatia’s World Cup defender
Drew Bartle Head Sports Editor
Turkish club side Besiktas have flat out rejected Liverpool’s reported €18 million transfer bid for their central defender Domagoj Vida, who is currently starring at the back for World Cup semi-finalists Croatia.
The report in 90min states that Liverpool are looking to add the 29-year old to their backline and sure up the defence – and would look to partner up Vida with his countryman Dejan Lovren at the back, for the Reds this coming season.
However, Besiktas are not going to let him go on the cheap and will look to squeeze up to €35 million for the 63-time capped international – playing four times at this World Cup and scoring once to help his country reach the final four in Russia.
It’s written that Domagoj Vida is now a ‘top target’ for Jurgen Klopp once the World Cup comes to an end, and it appears that the Reds will indeed test Besiktas again with an improved offer – but are likely to want to meet somewhere in the middle of that €35 million valuation.
The impressive performances at the World Cup have inevitably inflated the 29-year old’s price-tag and rightly so Besiktas will want to get the maximum out of their defender – yet the high-price has seemingly cooled interest from other Premier League clubs such as Fulham, West Ham and Everton.
With Liverpool having Dejan Lovren, Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip as top three picks in defence, the addition of the seasoned Domagoj Vida could be key. Vida would re-strike up his summer partnership with Lovren at club-level at Anfield, and that will be a major point of consideration by the Liverpool boss and hierarchy in getting their man.
The experienced defender has over 340 career appearances, including 24 Champions League games – scoring a total of 28 times, assisting 17 times and boasting seven winners medals (among which are Ukrainian and Croatian league titles).
