Liverpool now in talks to beat Nottingham Forest to £21m deal after rejected Premier League bid - journalist
Today at 03:55 AM
Nottingham Forest have a chance to prove all of their progress this season when they meet with Liverpool in the Premier League early next week.
Remarkably, Forest are third in the Premier League after 20 games played, only six points behind league-leaders Liverpool who also have a game in hand.
Now, Nuno Espirito Santo's side seem likely to chase a January addition in order to boost their bid for a European spot.
Of course, many Liverpool fans may also be hoping for Arne Slot’s side to add this month too, a manager who barely strengthened his squad in the summer.
Only Giorgi Mamardashvili and Federico Chiesa came in, with the former not arriving at Anfield until next summer.
Chiesa finally announced his own arrival in the FA Cup during Liverpool's win against Accrington Stanley, a player the club's supporters will be hoping for a lot more from.
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest join El Hadji Malick Diouf race
That being said, Liverpool and Forest are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in Slavia Prague defender El Hadji Malick Diouf.
According to Senegalese journalist Khadim Diakhate, Liverpool have now contacted the defender's agent to start talks, a player who Forest and Bournemouth want as well.
READ MORE: What Federico Chiesa is thinking about joining Napoli after scoring first Liverpool goal
Posting on X, the journalist claimed that Slavia Prague had already rejected a bid from Crystal Palace for the Senegal international, who now has four caps for his country.
Diouf's price tag is set at €25m (£21m) according to the information, one that has seemingly ended Palace's interest.
Diakhate said: "Slavia Prague have rejected an initial official offer of €15 million for El Hadji Malick Diouf, presented by Crystal Palace.
"The club is demanding 25 million euros, an amount that would set a new record.
"Liverpool have contacted their agent to make him Andrew Robertson’s successor.
"Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have also shown interest in the Senegalese left-back."
Diouf’s attacking numbers catching the eye of Premier League sides
20-year-old Diouf made the move to Europe in 2023, joining Norwegian side Tromso before then moving on to Slavia Prague just a year later.
Slot's need to find a long-term successor for Andrew Robertson has become clear this season – and it's up for debate whether Kostas Tsimikas is equipped for the task.
On Forest's part, Neco Williams has been superb as a left-back for Nuno this campaign, playing out of position on the opposite flank to Ola Aina.
And whilst Alex Moreno and Harry Toffolo are also available at The City Ground, it's an obvious area for Nuno to address moving forward.
That being said, Tottenham may have made it harder to sign Diouf this month, owing to their own smart signing from Slavia Prague.
