Liverpool have opened a line to Felix Nmecha, yet the Borussia Dortmund midfielder is not the name at the top of their list.
Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg broke the story that the Reds had made contact with Nmecha’s camp, and the item has since been relayed across the English football media. The 26-year-old is being treated as an alternative rather than a priority, with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Monaco’s Lamine Camara sitting above him on the January shortlist.
The figure doing the rounds is uncomfortable. GiveMeSport reported on Monday that Dortmund have held firm around a €120m valuation, equivalent to roughly £100m, after Nmecha’s performances in Germany’s World Cup opener. Earlier reporting from CaughtOffside suggested a workable deal could sit nearer €90m, with Dortmund’s public position that he is not for sale.
Iraola already has a crowded midfield
Andoni Iraola, in his first season as Liverpool head coach after replacing Arne Slot in the summer, has not been pushing for an immediate January midfielder. The club see themselves as well stocked, and Chelsea remain in pole position for Scott, with Bournemouth holding out for an offer in the region of €117m.
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Nmecha’s attraction is his versatility. He has operated as a No. 8 and a No. 10 for Dortmund this season, which fits the versatile backup profile the recruitment team want behind the first-choice unit. He also spent 12 years in Manchester City’s academy before joining Wolfsburg, and would therefore register as homegrown in the Premier League. He signed a contract extension running to 2030.
The World Cup goal that pushed the price up
Nmecha arrived at the 2026 World Cup after missing six weeks of last season’s Bundesliga run-in with a knee injury. In Germany’s group stage he produced the goal that opened their tournament, a sixth-minute strike against Curaçao that Dortmund have since used as leverage in talks with interested clubs.
Gary Neville told GiveMeSport that Nmecha “looked outstanding” during the World Cup window and warned the price was moving in only one direction.
Ian Wright, on the same panel, said the Dortmund man “can play as a No. 8 or No. 10” and has “got everything” an elite club looks for in that profile.
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Scott first, Nmecha only if that fails
The Scott file remains Liverpool’s priority exercise. If that race is lost to Chelsea, the Nmecha dossier is expected to move up the pile. If Bournemouth drop their valuation and Scott decides on Anfield, Nmecha stays filed as cover.
Dortmund have not opened talks, Liverpool have not tabled a bid, and Nmecha has not spoken publicly about his future. The next concrete step on Merseyside is the January window itself, which opens on 1 January.
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