LIVERPOOL want to snatch £70million-rated Jarrad Branthwaite from Merseyside rivals Everton.
SunSport understands the Reds will offer £63m plus £7m in add-ons to prise the centre-back across Stanley Park.
Branthwaite, a summer target for Manchester United, is open to the move and wants to play for a higher-profile club.
He is under contract until 2027 on £60,000 a week but knows that his wages would treble if he left for Anfield.
Liverpool are growing in confidence that a deal can be done with Arne Slot believed to be a huge admirer of the budding England star.
Bookies have the 22-year-old as short as evens for a Kop move in this transfer window.
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The last man to be sold by Everton to their local rivals was Abel Xavier for £800,000 in 2002.
Toffees boss Sean Dyche has admitted he would be willing to sell any player for the right price.
Despite making a £31m profit this summer Dyche says there is “not much wriggle room” to bring in more players amid an injury crisis which has left him down to just 14 fit first-team players.
United have twice failed in bids for Carlisle-born Branthwaite — their latest offer was £50m — but they still want him.
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Kop manager Slot is prepared to sell Joe Gomez — Newcastle failed in a £45m bid early in the window and Chelsea are interested.
Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, 23, is close to arriving at Anfield for £30m but is likely to go straight out on loan.
On Thursday, Dutch centre-back Sepp van den Berg, 22, joined Brentford for £30m, with the Bees paying £25m up front.
Midfielder Bobby Clark, 19, also joined Red Bull Salzburg in a £10m deal – who are managed by former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders.
But Liverpool have a week to get the deal done this summer, as the window shuts next Friday, August 30.
The Arne Slot era got off to the perfect start in the Prem this season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
