Liverpool ‘would have gone as far as €30m’ to secure signing – Manager blocked transfer

A couple of years ago, the name Eljif Elmas was heard a lot more than it is now. The North Macedonia international was playing for Napoli and had been linked with multiple Premier League teams.

Liverpool were repeatedly said to be keen on the player, and in December 2022 it was reported Jurgen Klopp had called him ahead of a potential transfer.

There’s now a claim in Italy that Liverpool were prepared to pay as much as €30m to sign the player from Napoli, but were thwarted because the club’s then manager, Luciano Spalletti, was a huge fan.

AreaNapoli say he saw Elmas as ‘the light of my eyes’, and subsequently Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis refused to sell, despite it being stated Liverpool wanted to buy him and ‘would have gone as far as €30m’.

However, like nearly everything at Napoli, Elmas’ situation deteriorated after De Laurentiis and Spalletti fell out and the manager left.

He then told the club he wanted to move in the winter 2024 market, and was allowed to go to RB Leipzig for €23m.

The versatile player hasn’t got off the bench for the German club so far this season. Indeed, the 24-year-old has struggled to have a big impact since the move, and since Spalletti left his career.