Eighty million euros. That’s the figure stapled to one Dortmund contract, and it explains why Liverpool’s recruitment staff keep reopening the same file. Sport Bild reports it as a fixed release clause, one that could only be triggered until the end of June. Miss that date and, according to English and German reports, the bill jumps to between 90 and 100 million euros.

Who is the man behind the number?

Felix Nmecha, 26, is a German midfielder who came through at Manchester City before Wolfsburg sold him to Dortmund. He’s big, he carries the ball through traffic, and he wins his share of duels. Caught Offside says he’s open to coming back to England. Even so, we see him as a second choice, because Alex Scott of Bournemouth tops our list.

Who plays there for the Reds now?

Right now Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai share the central minutes, with Wataru Endo pushing from behind. Andoni Iraola wants midfielders who press hard, run all game and attack space the second we win it back.

Would Nmecha suit Andoni Iraola’s pressing game better than Scott?

Honestly, I’d pick Scott, and the price gap is only part of it. Iraola built his Bournemouth side on relentless pressing, quick passing and midfielders who never stop running, and Scott spent several seasons doing exactly that under him. He knows the calls, the triggers, the rhythm. Nmecha can run too, but he thrives on carrying the ball more than hunting it.

That’s useful against low blocks, where we sometimes stall. Still, paying up to 100 million euros for a Plan B who needs time to learn a new press makes little sense. Gravenberch already does the ball-carrying job, so duplicating him feels wasteful.

Where Nmecha helps is physical presence, set-piece defending and late runs into the box. If Scott becomes impossible, he’s a decent fallback, but I’d only go there at the 80 million mark, never above it. Anything higher and Liverpool are overpaying for a player who isn’t clearly better than what we own.