Liverpool think they have found their next Sadio Mane.
Liverpool are set to have a fight on their hands to keep hold of Sadio Mane this summer as Real Madrid weigh up a move but Jurgen Klopp may have found an identical replacement.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo claim Klopp is closely monitoring 17-year-old Belgian wonderkid Jeremy Doku.
The Anderlect youngster broke through into the first team last season aged 16 and has really kicked on this campaign.
The forward has netted three goals from 14 league starts and his game style has been compared to Mane.
There were reports that Liverpool failed to sign the teenager in January and Klopp is said to be keen on reigniting that interest at the end of the season.
Mane was the joint top scorer in the Premier League last season and his form has led to him attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Liverpool’s terrifying front three could be broken up at the end of the summer but Los Blancos will have to spend in excess of £100million to capture the Senegal international.
Mundo Deportivo claim Klopp has a long-term solution to that dilemma as Doku could fulfil his shoes in ‘three or four years’.
Doku’s parents told Het Niewsblad that he had rejected Klopp earlier this year.
“At the age of sixteen Jeremy could sign a pro contract with Anderlecht, but even then Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, Ajax and PSV were interested,” they told Het Niewsblad.
“We then visited clubs like Liverpool and Ajax, but Stellar Group left us the choice.
“My (David, Doku’s father) preference was Liverpool. How we were received there, damn.
“Trainer Klopp explained how he saw a potential successor to Sadio Mane in Jeremy. Steven Gerrard showed us videos with tactical analysis.
“At the training complex Mignolet, Mane and Wijnaldum came to talk to us. Yet Jeremy was distracted by the talk. Liverpool panicked.”
Doku’s parents continued: “We talked about Chelsea and they thought he was going to sign there while we were just chatting about our youngest daughter. She’s called Chelsea.
“Van Holsbeeck (former Anderlecht boss) was convinced that he would lose Jeremy almost for free to Liverpool and wanted to make the most of it.
“But Anderlecht did everything to keep our son. They handled it cleverly with that video of Romelu Lukaku. If Jeremy hesitated for a moment to leave, it took away the last doubt.”
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