Liverpool have reportedly met the release clause of Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, according to Corriere dello Sport. The player has a buyout clause worth £25.8 million, and the Merseyside club have made a surprise bid for the player that could see him leave soon.
Pellegrini was set to be one of the pivotal members of the new squad under Jose Mourinho, who will want to keep a hold of the player. The central midfielder is viewed as the replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, who was announced to be joining PSG at the end of this month.
The Italian scored 11 goals and provided 9 assists across all competitions for Roma in 20/21, and his offensive output makes him the perfect candidate to succeed Wijnaldum in the Liverpool midfield. His leadership abilities will also add another dimension to Jürgen Klopp’s team on the pitch, should the transfer go through.
No advanced agreement has been reached yet, but considering that the player has a release clause, only personal terms need to be agreed for the transfer to go through. The 24-year-old came through the Roma academy, and spent a brief spell at Sassuolo before rejoining his boyhood club.
However, Barcelona and Atalanta are also interested in the player. Rumours suggest that there could be a direct swap deal with Clement Lenglet and Pellegrini. Also, Atalanta have a purchase option worth €20 million and have a slight advantage in being an Italian club themselves.
Pellegrini will miss out on the Italian squad for Euro 2020 due to a thigh injury, and Italy have requested UEFA to replace him with Gaetano Castrovilli.
