Sevilla give Liverpool Moreno hope

23 June 2014 13:02

Liverpool have been told they can sign Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno - as long as they meet the club's asking price.

The club's president Jose Castro confirmed that Brendan Rogers' side are one of several teams interested in signing the highly-rated 21-year-old, but explained that serious negotiations were yet to begin while emphasising that Sevilla were under no pressure to cash in on the Spain international.

"It's true that there is interest from a number of clubs, above all Liverpool, in him, but we haven't had proper conversations about selling him," Castro said in an interview with Spanish newspaper ABC.

"Signing any player from this club has a price and we will decide that price. If Alberto Moreno has to stay at the club he will stay but if a club pays the amount we think is big enough for him to leave, he will leave. But there is no pressure.

"We haven't reached an agreement, but talks haven't broken down. We'll wait and see what happens. If Liverpool are interested in the player and pay the right amount, he will be sold."

Last summer Sevilla sold four key players in Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo, who both joined Manchester City, plus Gary Medel and Geoffrey Kondogbia, who left for Cardiff City and Monaco respectively.

Last season's Europa League winners have already sold Ivan Rakitic to Barcelona, and Castro made no effort to hide his disappointment at losing one of his top players.

The Croatia international moved to the Catalan side for an estimated 18 million euros after failing to agree a new contract with Sevilla.

"Selling Rakitic was tough," said Castro.

"He's a player of such quality and importance to the club, the captain of the team, and when we meet with him we made a superhuman effort to keep him, offering him a contract that was unusual for a club like this one.

"He decided he wanted to go elsewhere, and it did not go the way we wanted it too, because the negotiations could have been done differently.

"I can assure you that I wasn't happy at all about Rakitic leaving, because I wanted him to stay here so we could enjoy him, but as he had other ideas, there was little we could do."

Source: PA