Tuesday, 9th October, 2012
Liverpool sent scouts to take in the Serie A clash between Genoa and Palermo on Saturday, according to sources in Italy.
The Reds’ representatives watched a 1-1 draw played out at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, with speculation instantly swirling about just who the scouts had come to watch, and two names being settled on.
relatedNewsStoryThe Premier League giants are thought to have been checking up on Genoa’s Swedish defender Andreas Granqvist, who was a target for AC Milan during the summer transfer window.
The other performer believed to have attracted Liverpool’s talent spotters is Slovenian midfielder schemer Josip Ilicic, a player who has previously been linked with other English Premier League clubs, in the shape of Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
The 24-year-old Ilicic is rated as one of Palermo’s gems and has progressed quickly at the Serie A outfit since joining from Maribor in 2010.
Ilicic was a virtual ever present for the side throughout the 2010/11 and 2011/12 campaigns. He is under contract until 2016, placing Palermo very much in the driving seat over his future though.
Granqvist meanwhile signed for Genoa in the summer of 2011 from Dutch Eredivisie outfit Groningen.
The Sweden international, who enjoyed a brief spell at Wigan Athletic between 2007 and 2008, penned a four-year contract with the Italian side.
He clocked up 28 appearances in Serie A during his maiden season in Italy’s top flight.
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