Liverpool are reportedly looking to tempt Mateo Kovacic away from Real Madrid this summer after he’s struggled to find his place in Spain’s capital. Plus, manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be seeking a reunion with Jakub Blaszczykowski. 

Kovacic only moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Inter Milan last summer, but Spanish daily Marca (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express) reported Real are now ready to sell, and Liverpool are interested in a deal.

The 22-year-old made 34 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos last season, but he started in just 11 of those as manager Zinedine Zidane failed to show a lot of interest in his involvement.

ESPN FC’s Stefan Buczko recently reported Kovacic is more eager than ever to improve ahead of the 2016-17 campaign, however, after calling back to the Bernabeu ahead of schedule:

Kovacic has long been looked upon as one of Croatia’s brightest up-and-coming talents, but after a tough season in Spain, he was used mostly as a substitute during the nation’s UEFA Euro 2016 run.

The former Dinamo Zagreb prodigy has featured in Italy and Spain’s top flights, and German newspaper Bild reported Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund could pose stiff competition, per Sport Witness:

Liverpool have already beefed up in midfield this summer with the arrival of Serbian starlet Marko Grujic, but Kovacic could provide a more rough-and-ready option, capable of playing central midfield or in a more attacking capacity.

Elsewhere, it’s been reported by German daily Der Westen that Klopp will also look to Dortmund in his attempt to link back up with Blaszczykowski (h/t Liverpool Echo‘s Kristian Walsh). 

Sadio Mane arrived at Anfield earlier this summer to provide the Reds with more pace on the flanks, but versatile Blaszczykowski could be a more cost-effective option in bulking up the club’s creative options.

“Kuba” turns 31 in December, but the Poland international rolled back the years at Euro 2016 and featured as one of his country’s most impressive assets, as shown by WhoScored.com:

Blaszczykowski struggled with injury last season and managed to make just 12 starts across all competitions, with Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel often preferring other options even when the Pole was fit.

Klopp, who worked with the player for seven years at Signal Iduna Park, could well find better use for the player, although Wolfsburg are also said to be keen on his talents.

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