Newcastle United suffer major transfer blow as Liverpool ‘confident’ of signing £61m target

Liverpool have stepped up their interest in RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai as confidence grows over a potential transfer.

As revealed by NewcastleWorld last week, Newcastle United have held talks with Leipzig regarding Szoboszlai but latest reports suggest their interest is unlikely to go no further.

As per The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Magpies are out of the race - paving the way for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to strike a deal for the Hungarian international.

The 22-year-old has a £61million release clause and there are conflicting reports over when that expires. It’s understood Newcastle were hoping to negotiate a lower fee having already committed £52m to signing Sandro Tonali from AC Milan.

Szoboszlai enjoyed another impressive campaign in the Bundesliga last season - scoring 10 goals in 46 appearances to help Leipzig qualify for the Champions League and lift the German Cup for the second consecutive season.

The former RB Salzburg man admitted towards the back end of last season he was open to a new challenge this summer.

“If there is interest, I will consider it,” he said. “Not because I don’t have a good time in Leipzig, but because I have always been interested in challenges.

“On one side of the scale is a good Leipzig, with a coach who trusts me and team-mates who accept me and also believe in me. No footballer can wish for more than that, this is quite an exciting situation.

“At the same time, on the other side, there is the question if I can now take a step towards Europe’s top five or six clubs, should I say no to the challenge? I’ve never been that type. I am in a very good position as I can play in a fantastic club. However, I don’t want 15 years from now to look back on my career as if I didn’t get the most out of it.”

Szoboszlai was strongly considered as an alternative option to James Maddison, who joined Tottenham Hotspur in a £40m deal earlier this month. Where Newcastle turn next in the transfer market is currently unclear.