They’ve already made one signing (Iago Aspas from Celta Vigo) and Liverpool are moving ahead with their plans to upgrade for next season, making an offer for Simon Mignolet of Sunderland, hoping to have him as their starting goalkeeper next season.
According to the Guardian, Liverpool have made an offer worth £7 million for the Belgian goalkeeper, but Sunderland, who battled against relegation for most of last season, are holding out for an offer of £10 million. Knowing that both Arsenal and Napoli are also showing some interest in the player, Sunderland might play hard to get a little while longer.
Mignolet, 25, has played for Sunderland for the last three seasons, but finally played the entire season 2012-2013 after getting benched in favor of Craig Gordon during his debut season and missing a few games due to a broken nose sustained in a rough collision with Emile Heskey during his second season in the Premier League. In all, he has appeared 101 times for the club since arriving from Saint-Truiden for £2.2 million.
His contract runs until 2015, but Mignolet, or at least his agent, has expressed his desire to leave Sunderland to a different club, but only in case he knows he’ll be the first goalkeeper, which might be a case for interpreation if one of the Champions League sides come calling for him.
However, at Liverpool, who don’t offer European football this season but at least more money that Sunderland can offer, he’ll have no problem winning the first-team place. Pepe Reina is saying he isn’t planning on leaving anywhere, but Liverpool have grown tired of his mistakes, that have become something not quite rare over the past two or three seasons.
Reina is likely to leave, probably to Spain and even Barcelona, if Liverpool do bring over Mignolet, as he won’t be willing to sit on the bench for the club he’s been the number one keeper at since 2005.