Rumour Mongering: Reds to Raid Schalke for Left Back

After raiding Schalke for Jöel Matip last season, signing the 24-year-old centre half as a free transfer following the signing of a pre-contract in the spring, Liverpool could be set to try and steal away another defender from the German club.

According to Bild, Liverpool are working towards signing 23-year-old left back Sead Kolasinac, whose deal at Schalke expires next summer, to a pre-contract in January. They are rumoured to be facing competition from Chelsea and West Ham.

They will also face competition from Schalke, who as in the case of Matip remain hopeful of holding on to a talented young player but who, for the second year in a row now, face the real risk of losing a rising defensive talent for nothing.

Despite their hopes, the belief is that the presence of not just Klopp at Liverpool but also of former teammate Matip and assistant manager Zeljko Buvac, who like Kolasinac is Bosnian, make Liverpool the clear frontrunners for his services.

Kolasinac joined Schalke’s youth team in 2011 from Stuttgart and a year later was promoted to the first team. In four seasons with the senior side, he has made 93 appearances. So far this season he has played eight games and notched four assists.

The left back has 14 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina, who he chose to represent after playing for Germany as a youth. However, a torn ACL during the 2014-15 season that sidelined him for most of the season could be cause for concern.