Geoffrey Kondogbia’s move to Inter Milan is all but official, and the AS Monaco midfielder is ready to spurn Liverpool in favour of a transfer move to Italy in the coming days.

The France international, who is a Liverpool fan and was linked with a move to Anfield, per Goal.com’s Duncan Castles, has already agreed to personal terms with the Nerazzurri, signing a contract Saturday, per Sky Sport’s Fabrizio Romano:

As soon as Inter and Monaco can come to an agreement, the move will be made official, and according to Romano, the two clubs are close to a deal.

A number of top clubs around the continent have been chasing Kondogbia, per Castles, and of all the Premier League clubs, Arsenal appeared most likely to win the race for his signature. The fact that he is reportedly a Liverpool fan gave the Reds a massive advantage, however, and it’s surprising to see that manager Brendan Rodgers didn’t push harder to bring him into the club.

The 22-year-old overcame injury problems early in the 2014-15 campaign and broke out in a big way, impressing for Monaco in the Champions League. He plays a similar position to compatriot Paul Pogba and is regarded as a cheaper alternative to the Juventus star.

Kondogbia’s move to Inter may have a silver lining for Liverpool, however. While he doesn’t play the exact same position as Mateo Kovacic, it’s still likely that the Italians brought him in as a replacement for the Croat, and Football Italia wonders whether he will now make the move to Anfield:

Kovacic has tremendous potential but suffered through a disappointing 2014-15 campaign that saw new Inter manager Roberto Mancini bench him on multiple occasions. The 21-year-old is still a part of Inter’s plans, but given his recent struggles, they may be willing to cash in and let someone else try to develop him.

With Kondogbia set to sport the iconic blue-and-black kit next season, the Nerazzurri can afford to let Kovacic walk, opening the door for Liverpool to snatch a potential replacement for Steven Gerrard.

Kondogbia is undoubtedly the better of the two players right now, but Kovacic has the potential to be just as good in a few years. Maybe all the Croat needs is a change of scenery to bounce back after his disappointing season, and with Kondogbia heading to the Italian fashion capital, Liverpool’s bid to land his services becomes a little easier.

 

Reds Keeping Tabs on Dries Mertens

Belgium international Dries Mertens could leave Napoli during the summer, and according to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Metro‘s Will Giles), the Reds are considering an offer to bring the versatile forward to Anfield.

His agent, Soren Lerby, recently told Radio Crc (h/t Football Italia) that Mertens is considering his options after Napoli’s season ended on a sour note:

It’s been a difficult year for Napoli. After being knocked out of the Champions League, they got very close to winning the Europa League, but we all know what happened in the League. We’ll see what will happen now.

There are clubs interested in Dries, but at the moment I can’t say anything. … I don’t know if the problem is Napoli or Mertens, we’ll have a meeting soon to decide the lad’s future. It’s true that Mertens has a contract with Napoli, but we’ll make our decision together with the club.

Mertens moved to the Partenopei from PSV in 2013 and has steadily developed into one of the club’s most versatile attacking weapons. He played as a winger and attacking midfielder last season, scoring 10 goals and handing out nine assists, per WhoScored.com.

He’s also become a key part of Belgium’s national team, where he regularly outshines the likes of Eden Hazard. While not as physically gifted as his Chelsea compatriot, his motor never stops, and he’s more comfortable playing in a central role.

In many ways, he looks like a perfect replacement for Raheem Sterling, who seems destined to leave the club during the summer, per Bleacher Report’s Graham Ruthven:

Mertens has a great scoring touch, something Liverpool could use after the club’s strikers failed to deliver in 2014-15. He won’t score over 20 goals next season, but he will add to the club’s tally while providing plenty of assists—and he won’t shy away from doing his defensive duties.

His contract doesn’t run out until 2018, but if he decides to force a move away from Napoli, he should cost less than half of what the Reds should receive by selling Sterling. Napoli failed to qualify for the Champions League and will have a hard time convincing Mertens to stay, given the departure of manager Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool’s lack of Champions League football will hurt them in the chase for Mertens, but given their impending need of a creative, productive attacking midfielder, they should present him with an attractive wage packet if they do make a bid. And if that’s the case, it’s hard to see Mertens turning down a move to Anfield.

 

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