Liverpool look to beat stampede as Dortmund end star’s talks

Over £100m was spent on Liverpool’s squad during the summer to try and upgrade them from Premier League runners up to gold medallists, making their stuttering start to open the season all the more difficult to fathom.

Sat in seventh place, some nine points off the league leaders, and slipping to 19/20 shots just to retain their top-four status must have the Anfield faithful wondering why so much was splurged on the likes of Mario Balotelli, Lazar Markovic and Rickie Lambert instead of Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus.

All the more galling, then, that rumours are now emerging linking the Merseyside outfit with the German forward this January after contract negotiations with Dortmund have seemingly broken down.

Last year’s Bundesliga runners up are keen to renegotiate the terms of Reus’ current contract, as his release clause will drop to a relatively cheap £20m this summer if they fail to do so.

However, Reus, who turned down the club’s advances two months ago, has seen renewed talks with Der BVB fall flat once again, leaving the door seemingly open to a flood of bids come the sunnier months.

It’s thought Liverpool are at the front of the queue, also containing Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich, to land the 25-year-old international, who could well be tempted away from the Westfalenstadion as early as this January if Dortmund’s form doesn’t improve.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are winless in six league games and already trail rivals Bayern by 14 points after just nine matches.

A bid of around £32m, along with £180,000 per week wages, are rumoured to be enough to lure 23-cap star away from Germany – money the Reds may well have to commit to if they want to reignite their season.

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