Agents Confirms Liverpool Interest for Holtby

   Lewis Holtby Has Decision to Make – Agent Confirms Offers for Liverpool Target...

Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby has offers on the table from clubs in England and Spain, his agent has claimed, but poured cold water on speculation of a bid from Serie A giants Inter.

The 22-year-old’s contract in Gelsenkirchen expires at the end of the current campaign and he has been linked with English outfit Liverpool, despite being a boyhood Everton supporter, while the Nerazzurri have also been speculated as admirers of his abilities.

Interest in Holtby stretches further than that though, his representative Markus Noack insists, with firm proposals on the table from not just England, but Spain too.

Talks on an extended contract at Schalke are progressing well, Noack added, but feels the young midfielder now has a decision to make, given the proposals which have landed in his lap.

"We are talking with Schalke about a three-year contract", Noack told Calcio Mercato.

"The talks are going well, but there are also offers that we have received from England and Spain.

"A club from England has made an especially interesting offer.

"My client will have to decide whether he will stay at Schalke, or wants to have an adventure abroad.

"La Liga and the Premier League are preferable."

Asked directly about mooted interest in Holtby from Inter, Noack replied: "I don’t know anything about it."

The 22-year-old operates as an attacking midfielder and is left-footed.

He has been in impressive form for Schalke so far this season, scoring three goals and creating another three in nine Bundesliga matches, as the Ruhr giants have emerged as the most likely challengers to Bayern Munich for the German title.

At international level, Holtby was last in action for Germany’s Under-21s against Switzerland in October.

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Liverpool step up Holtby pursuit ahead of free summer move

The Anfield outfit have highlighted the Schalke star, whose father supports Everton, as a target ahead of his contract expiring with the      

   Bundesliga club at the end of the season. Schalke have made clear that they would be willing to keep hold of the former Alemannia Aachen youngster until the end of the season, knowing that they would only be able to yield around €7 million (£5.5m) if they were to sell him in January before he becomes available on a Bosman deal. 

  The Anfield outfit previously monitored Everton fan Holtby following Brendan Rodgers' arrival on Merseyside, as was exclusively revealed by Goal.com in July.Holtby, who has also been linked with Tottenham in recent months, is considered to be a technically-gifted passer of the ball in Germany, and fits Liverpool's current recruitment model of signing young, cheap players with obvious future resale value. The 22-year-old has made no secret of his interest in a move to the Premier League,admitting to Goal.com in July that playing for an English side was a goal of his. 

   Despite Liverpool's interest in the Schalke star, bolstering their striking options remains a priority ahead of the January transfer window and means they are in no rush to push through a move for Holtby. 

The lack of firepower in Rodgers' squad was highlighted again as the Reds struggled to capitalise on a dominant performance against Reading on Saturday, picking up a 1-0 win thanks to a Raheem Sterling strike.Darren Bent and Daniel Sturridge have been highlighted as potential targets by Anfield officials in recent weeks, with both players likely to be available within Liverpool's January budget of approximately £10m-£12m. 

   Rodgers previously made a desperate attempt to sign Sturridge on loan in the closing hours of the summer transfer window, but the Chelsea man is only interested in a permanent move away from west London with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy reluctant to extend his £65,000-a-week deal.

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