Austrian Bundesliga side Red Bull Salzburg are hopeful of securing Liverpool centre-back Andre Wisdom on loan for another season.
Wisdom joined Salzburg on a season-long deal at the end of August, and has made 20 appearances for the club so far, establishing himself as a key player in 2017.
The 23-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in nine of the last 12 league games, after playing 121 minutes in total over the previous 13.
His increased importance at the Red Bull Arena has led to Oscar Garcia seeking to extend Wisdom’s loan, according to the Salzburger Nachrichten.
Liverpool are reported to value Wisdom at £6 million, though the Liverpool Echo claim this to be a lower fee of £4 million.
If it is the former, Salzburg are unlikely to be willing to make such a significant outlay, given that would eclipse the club’s record outlay.
Instead, they are preparing an approach to keep Wisdom in Austria for the 2017/18 campaign, which they are likely to spend as reigning champions.
This is corroborated by Austrian publication Kurier, with Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund telling them he is “currently in talks with Liverpool.”
The Echo suggest that staying in England would be Wisdom’s preferred move, with Derby County “leading the chase.”
But staying with Salzburg may interest the defender, who is due to end the season having made more appearances for the club in eight months than he has in five years for Liverpool.
Carving out a regular role in the second half of the season has seen Wisdom thrive, operating on the left of a centre-back pairing next to Paulo Miranda.
Salzburg are yet to lose with Wisdom starting this year, conceding two goals in his last eight league games and keeping six clean sheets.
The former Bradford City youth is thought to have settled in well in Austria, having left in search of a new challenge following a series of disappointing loan spells in England.
“It’s a good opportunity to learn a different culture and a different style of play,” he said in October.
“We’ve got a really good team and I can see why they’ve won the league before because it’s a tight group.
“It’s quite a young team and everyone comes in with a smile on their face, happy to train, happy to play.
“There’s a vibe where everyone is willing to make sacrifices for the team. Even if it’s just a pat on the pack, or a ‘come on mate’—or whatever they say in German—everyone’s on it.”
Salzburg have already secured their place in next season’s Champions League qualifiers, and are favourites to win the Austrian Bundesliga for the fourth campaign running.
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