Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp refuses to discuss Reds' interest in signing 'extraordinary talent'

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has labeled Reds target Mario Gotze an "extraordinary talent", but refused to delve into speculation linking the Bayern Munich midfielder with a summer move to Anfield. The manager praised him for his performance for Germany against Italy during the recently concluded international break, but put a stop on talks regarding an impending move.

The Merseyside club have been heavily linked with a move for the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder, with both Klopp and Gotze keen to link up again following their successful spell together at the Signal Iduna Park, which saw them win back-to-back league titles, a German Cup and make the final of the Champions League, which they eventually lost to his current club at Wembley.

According to the Guardian, the Reds are confident of completing the deal to bring the Bayern midfielder to Anfield this summer, with the fee expected to be around £15m ($21.5m) to £20m as he enters the final year of his contract with the club at the end of the current campaign. Moreover, Thomas Muller, who plays with Gotze at the Allianz Arena, has admitted that his compatriot is not fully satisfied with the Bundesliga champions after falling out-of-favour under Pep Guardiola.

He has made just eight appearances in the league this season, with just four of them coming from the start, and this could prompt the midfielder to seek a move away from the club. Apart from Liverpool, Premier League rivals Arsenal are also said to be interested, but the lure of linking up with Klopp will hand the Reds the advantage in the race for his signature.

"I was pleased to hear that Mario put in a great performance for Germany on Tuesday. He is a player with extraordinary quality. He is trying to get fully fit again after a four-month spell on the sidelines due to injury," Klopp said, a quoted by The Sun.

"But that's all I can say about Gotze. I am happy to talk about [Joel] Matip or about other things, but not about whether Gotze is a target for Liverpool," the German coach added.