Liverpool have reportedly launched an ambitious January transfer window raid on French giants PSG for an elite midfielder who walks straight into Arne Slot\u2019s starting XI, although\u00a0TEAMtalk questions whether they can actually succeed in their chase.<\/p>\n
Having appeared to get their faltering campaign back on track with wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid, Slot\u2019s men came crashing back down to earth as they were crushed 3-0 by Manchester City at the weekend.<\/p>\n
The result leaves Liverpool<\/a> a whopping eight points behind leaders Arsenal in the defence of their Premier League title and seemingly needing a jolt in the arm come January.<\/p>\n That could come in the form of outstanding PSG star Vitinha<\/a>, if the latest reports on the Portugal international are to be believed.<\/p>\n As per CaughtOffside<\/a>, the Reds have identified the 25-year-old as a possible target for the January transfer window.<\/p>\n Slot\u2019s midfield has been identified as an area that needs a significant upgrade, leading to Vitinha emerging on the club\u2019s radar, however unlikely a swoop might seem.<\/p>\n The defensive midfielder joined PSG<\/a> from Portuguese side Porto back in 2022 and has gone on to make over 160 appearances for the club across all competitions.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s the last 18 months where Vitinha has really exploded onto the scene and established himself as one of the top midfielders in the world. Indeed, during that time, PSG won the Champions League, Ligue 1 and the French Cup under Luis\u00a0Enrique.<\/p>\n And it now appears that Liverpool are ready to try their luck in a daring January raid, with scouts at the club\u00a0regarding Vitinha as one of the most technically gifted players in Europe.<\/p>\n DON\u2019T MISS \u27a1\ufe0f\u00a0Yes or No? Will Liverpool ever see value from the \u00a3116m invested in Florian Wirtz?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Can Liverpool actually pull off Vitinha deal?<\/strong><\/p>\n While there\u2019s no doubting that Vitinha would bring creativity, attacking prowess and a high level of technical ability to Liverpool\u2019s midfield, even from a deeper role, the Portuguese will be incredibly difficult to lure away from Paris.<\/p>\n Vitinha, who came\u00a0third in the Ballon d\u2019Or voting, is currently valued at around\u00a0\u20ac90million (\u00a379m \/ $104m) and remains under contract until the end of the 2028\/29 campaign.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also been claimed that PSG regard him as \u2018untouchable\u2019 and have no intention of allowing a sale, particularly mid-season.<\/p>\n That being said,\u00a0PSG are in a position where they need to sell to reduce the wage bill and also comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.<\/p>\n High-wage players who are not central to the new project under Enrique will be offloaded to fund deals for fresh additions, although it\u2019s not thought that Vitinha is one of them.<\/p>\n To that end, it appears that Liverpool could be running up a blind alley if, as the report suggests, they do make a concrete move for the PSG superstar.<\/p>\n Get the inside story first by joining our TEAMtalk Facebook channel<\/a> to receive the latest breaking and exclusive news straight into your Messenger inbox. <\/p>\n Latest Liverpool news: Battle for Dortmund defender; new Robertson deal<\/strong><\/p>\n First up, Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck is emerging as one of the hottest transfer targets in European football, with Manchester United joining Liverpool in monitoring the 25-year-old<\/a>, TEAMtalk understands.<\/p>\n Elsewhere,\u00a0Liverpool are aiming to convince Andy Robertson to discuss terms over a new contract at Anfield, a transfer journalist has revealed, and in news that will potentially deliver a blow for the club which were exploring a move to sign the Scotland captain on a free transfer<\/a>.<\/p>\n