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Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Manuel Lanzini after West Ham manager Slaven Bilic confirmed that the striker will not be leaving the Hammers this season.
Liverpool had been linked to Lanzini earlier in the transfer window and West Ham seemed to have bought players like Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic as his replacement. The Reds cooled their interest in the Argentine until recently, as rumours linking Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona have become stronger.
Instead of spending big overseas, Klopp wants to bring someone who already has experience in the Premier League and Lanzini topped his transfer list, having scored 14 goals in the league so far and likely coming at a considerably low price. His high work rate and agility also fit Klopp's style of play where he prioritizes high pressing and counter-attacks.
However, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed that Lanzini will remain at the club. Speaking at a news conference ahead of West Ham's match against Southampton, he was quoted by ESPN as saying: "I am sure he is going to stay with us. I said it last week when we spoke about it before the Manchester United game."
"I speak to Manu every day and he is very happy. He really feels at home here, he feels wanted. You can see it, you don't have to talk to the player but you see he is smiling, he is happy."
Written by Sharhind Singh
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