Turkish midfielder Nuri Sahin will join Liverpool on loan from Real Madrid, according to numerous reports on Wednesday afternoon.
Sahin, 23, joined Real last summer from Borussia Dortmund for €10m after an outstanding season with the German club.
Arsenal have also shown interest in signing the left-footed creative midfielder, but Jose Mourinho has reportedly favoured a move to Liverpool due to Brendan Rodgers’ influence – with whom he worked alongside and promoted whilst at Chelsea.
Another factor in Sahin’s decision to join Liverpool is reportedly that of fellow Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso who is said to have helped persuade him to join Anfield rather than Arsenal – which was Sahin’s initial preference due to Champions League football being on offer.
Reports at present are that Sahin’s move will be announced late Wednesday or Thursday. He is in action for Turkey against Austria on Wednesday night.
Manager Brendan Rodgers told the official Liverpool FC website on Wednesday;
“There has been contact and communication with the clubs. The team of people behind myself are working very, very hard in relation to those targets.
I would hope there would be a couple more signings before the end of August.”
It is understood that those remaining targets are Barcelona winger Cristian Tello, Man City winger Adam Johnson, Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, Fulham forward Clint Dempsey and Wolves keeper Dorus de Vries.
Rodgers is keen to add some options in the wider areas of attack, with one of Tello, Johnson or Walcott joining Dempsey in providing those options out wide.
Update: The Guardian now reporting similarly.
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