Tuesday, 30th October, 2012
Liverpool are tracking the situation of Holland international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar closely, ahead of a possible January swoop for the 29-year-old.
According to Dutch magazine Voetbal International, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is keen on Huntelaar, having grown convinced that the former Real Madrid hitman can relieve some of the burden on Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez.
Huntelaar’s contract at Schalke expires at the end of the current campaign and it was recently confirmed that talks over a new deal have been suspended.
The Dutchman, who was on target for the Ruhr giants during their recent 2-0 Champions League win against Arsenal recently, has claimed to be too busy to make a decision, with the games coming thick and fast.
The Bundesliga’s winter break, from 15th December until 19th January, has been penned in as the time for Huntelaar to come to a decision over his future, with Schalke wanting clarity as quickly as possible.
Were Huntelaar to opt against signing, Schalke could look to cash in on him to realise at least some value – and Liverpool would be ready.
relatedNewsStoryThe striker gave a clear nod towards moving to England in the summer, in an interview with Inside Futbol.
When asked about whether the Premier League could be his next destination, Huntelaar told Inside Futbol: "It is the best competition alongside the Bundesliga".
Last season Huntelaar scored a remarkable 48 goals in 48 games for Schalke, showing his ruthless streak in front of goal.
He was disappointed to see Robin van Persie preferred ahead of him for a starting role for Holland at Euro 2012, but has shrugged off that feeling to once again start to score regularly for Schalke in the new campaign.
Should he decide to leave Gelsenkirchen, Liverpool will undoubtedly face opposition for his signature, with Juventus and Lazio also having been heavily linked with launching a move for the striker.
