Via Liverpool.com
The cash-rich Newcastle and Aston Villa can now get spending, and both have been linked with an apparent Reds transfer target.
Aston Villa, of course, boasts the added draw of Champions League football, having done very well to finish fourth last season
Newcastle earned that same accolade the campaign prior, but begins 2024/25 without European football of any kind.
Arne Slot will no doubt be looking to strengthen ahead of his first campaign, with suggestions that he could look to add another attacker
One of the names mentioned is Brajan Gruda, the young German forward who has been excelling at Jurgen Klopp's old club, Mainz
The 20-year-old plays on the right wing and cuts in on his stronger left foot, making him a stylistic match as a Mohamed Salah understudy and heir.
German outlet Sport Bild first credited Liverpool with an interest in Gruda
Gruda scored four goals and assisted three in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season (albeit in a struggling Mainz side)
if the Reds are genuinely keen on a deal, they may need to play catch-up, with Aston Villa seemingly positioning itself in pole position.
It's claimed that Mainz could now try and hold out for $54m (£42m/€50m)
While Aston Villa is at the front of the queue, it nonetheless has no intention of paying a fee that high, and will seek to drive it down.
Newcastle could be out of the running altogether, with Gruda thought to favor a move to a club in the Champions League
With the youngster also eager to be a regular starter, a move to Anfield may not prove the most appealing at this stage in his career.
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