Liverpool have head start for ‘one of the next big jewels’ while Borussia Dortmund stutter

Liverpool are reportedly better placed than Borussia Dortmund for Andrija Maksimovic, who is seen as “one of the next big jewels in football” by the Bundesliga giants.

Dortmund are well aware of how to spot a talented future superstar before they have fully hit their stride in football. Jude Bellingham is the best example of their nous when it comes to picking out gems.

According to Christian Falk, they are looking to do so again with Red Star Belgrade playmaker Maksimovic.

However, at the moment, Liverpool have a head start on the Bundesliga outfit.

“Dortmund see Andrija Maksimovic, 17, as one of the next big jewels in football – like they saw in Jamie Bynoe-Gittens for instance. But it’s not so concrete at the moment that they’re planning on buying him,” Falk told CaughtOffside.

“Liverpool and other clubs who are interested are perhaps closer. In Dortmund, they are discussing the name but it’s not so hot at the moment, so not the next one they’re going to buy.

“We’ll see how close the English clubs will get to this deal, but Dortmund are not at the starting line at the moment.”

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Liverpool prioritise academy talent

Liverpool tend to prioritise graduates of their own academy at a young age.

They have seen the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah rise through the ranks and into the first team in recent years.

While Liverpool will no doubt continue to nurture their own academy players, the ceiling of Maksimovic could be too high to miss out on.

Almost every club in the world would have wished they could have been the one to pluck Bellingham from the Championship and turn him into a star, and given Dortmund are stuttering for a player who could follow a similar path, Liverpool will be aware they could make a huge move.

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Dortmund are not only up against the Reds for Maksimovic, but for their own star, Bynoe-Gittens. It’s reported he is dreaming of going to Liverpool or Manchester City amid interest from the former.

Meanwhile, Alisson reportedly wants to prolong his Liverpool career for a good while, despite the fact Giorgio Mamardashvili has come through the door to challenge him in goal.

One player with an expiring contract, Alexander-Arnold, has been courted by Real Madrid for a while, but Barcelona and Bayern Munich are both in the mix, too.

There is, however, confidence that Virgil van Dijk will remain, despite his deal also running out soon.

Maksimovic career to date

In senior football this season, Maksimovic has provided one assist, and has also scored in a UEFA Youth League match.

But his exploits in academy football show he has a very high ceiling.

In the under-17 Kadestka Liga in 2022/23, the attacker netted 29 goals in 25 games. He went on two separate runs of netting in six consecutive games during that season.

The 17-year-old has shown a spark in senior football that suggests he could explode as he did previously.