LIVERPOOL are confident of completing a £25m deal for Newcastle United midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum before the end of the week, but the Magpies continue to dig their heels in over Moussa Sissoko despite the Frenchman’s latest comments about leaving Tyneside.

Liverpool’s interest in Wijnaldum has strengthened significantly over the last 48 hours, with Jurgen Klopp having given the green light to the pursuit of the Dutch international.

Ragnar Klavan was undergoing a medical at Liverpool’s training ground yesterday ahead of a £4.2m move from Augsburg, and Klopp is hoping to make significant progress with Wijnaldum’s capture before leaving for a pre-season trip to the United States tomorrow.

Liverpool’s recruitment team have held a series of discussions with their counterparts at St James’ Park, and while the Anfield club had initially been looking to pay a £20m fee, they are expected to agree to a compromise of around £25m.

The Northern Echo:

That will suit Newcastle, who have insisted that the vast majority of the price is paid up front rather than in a series of instalments.

The possibility of a loan deal as part of the agreement was discussed, with Liverpool full-back Jon Flanagan and experienced midfielder Lucas Leiva having been mentioned as possible temporary makeweights. However, as things stand, Newcastle will not be getting a Liverpool player as part of a Wijnaldum deal.

Provided the proposed transfer goes through, the Magpies will be banking a profit of more than £10m despite suffering relegation in Wijnaldum’s only season on Tyneside.

The midfielder made a £14.5m move from PSV Eindhoven last summer, and scored 11 Premier League goals as Newcastle tumbled out of the top-flight.

He scored in the Magpies’ 6-0 win over Irish side Bohemian last weekend, but did not return from Ireland with the rest of the squad and is not expected to be involved in this evening’s pre-season game at Doncaster Rovers.

Sissoko will not be present at the Keepmoat Stadium either as he is still to return to training following his involvement in France’s run to the Euro 2016 final.

Yesterday, he rated his performances during the finals as “ten out of ten”, and once again flagged up his desire to leave Newcastle this summer.

For the third time since the end of last season, Sissoko spoke of his intention to move on in an interview with the French media, and claimed he would be targeting the leading clubs in the Premier League as he searches for a new employer.

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“My priority is to stay in England, even if I’m not against going to search for a new challenge elsewhere,” said Sissoko. “I particularly want to play with big players and in top-level matches.”

Sissoko’s stance is in marked contrast to the current approach of Rafael Benitez, with the Newcastle boss still keen on keeping the Frenchman as part of his squad.

Benitez’s attitude is borne of an enduring admiration for Sissoko’s attacking qualities, but also reflects the lack of a formal approach for the 26-year-old.

For all that Sissoko continues to tout himself here, there and everywhere, a number of the clubs to have previously been linked with him have moved on alternative targets.

Liverpool appear to regard Wijnaldum as a much more attractive option, while Tottenham are in the process of signing Marseille midfielder Georges-Kevin N’Koudou for £10.8m.

Arsenal have a long-standing interest in Sissoko, but Arsene Wenger regards a new striker as a much more pressing priority this summer and is prepared to commit a large proportion of his summer budget to the purchase of either Alexandre Lacazette or Gonzalo Higuain.

Newcastle’s squad for tonight’s game at Doncaster will be very similar to the group that played in Dublin at the weekend, with Benitez once again expected to make a raft of second-half changes.

Rob Elliot, Kevin Mbabu, Siem de Jong and Adam Armstrong all missed Saturday’s victory because of injury concerns, and it is unlikely that any of the quartet will be considered tonight.