Liverpool open negotiations to sign PSG defender on free transfer

Liverpool have made contact with Paris Saint-Germain star Thomas Meunier over a move to Anfield, according to reports in France.

Meunier was enjoying his fourth season with PSG when the coronavirus crisis brought French football to a halt but the 28-year-old looks certain to leave the club over the coming months.

The Belgium international is nearing the end of his contract at the Parc des Princes and the Ligue 1 champions have no intention of extending his deal beyond the summer.

Le 10 Sport claims that Jurgen Klopp has made his interest known and Liverpool recently made contact with Meunier over a possible free transfer for the right-back.

The report suggests that Meunier would arrive on Merseyside as cover for first-team star Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

However, Liverpool will have to beat off competition from Napoli and Borussia Dortmund to land the experienced full-back.

The Bundesliga giants are on the lookout for a new right-back, with Achraf Hakimi set to return to Real Madrid when his loan agreement ends.

Earlier this month, Meunier made it clear that his preference would be to remain in Paris despite the club showing no interest in extending his current deal.

‘My ambition is to stay at PSG next season. The club knows this and it has been discussed,’ the Belgian defender said.

‘We have a group that is super cool with a fairly young team apart from two, three olds. It’s fairly homogeneous.

‘If one day I had been told that I was going to play with players who can be Ballon d’Or, world-famous, I probably would never have believed it. For me, the Belgian championship was already something very good.’

Meunier hopes Kylian Mbappe, another player heavily linked with Liverpool, commits his long-term future to PSG.

‘When I see Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva, Julian Draxler and others here at PSG, it’s just exceptional. This is an immense opportunity.

‘Mbappe is really above average, more gifted than any footballer I have come across in my career, and I frankly hope that he will be able to hold out until the end because he has a future ahead of him that will be just sensational.’

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