Liverpool plot to gatecrash Everton’s £30million bid for in-demand Belgium star Axel Witsel

LIVERPOOL have gatecrashed Everton’s £30million bid for Axel Witsel.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are keen to rebound quickly from missing out on first-choice midfield target Gregorz Krychowiak.

Krychowiak plumped for PSG after former Sevilla boss Unai Emery went there to replace Laurent Blanc.

That has left Klopp with a gap to fill in front of the back four and he wants Witsel to pick the Red half of Merseyside.

The Toffees and new boss Ronald Koeman thought they had their man after agreeing a deal with Zenit St Petersburg.

And Koeman is still planning to go all out to load Everton with a squad capable of breaking into the Champions League spots.

Witsel would be a huge part of that and looked ready to put pen to paper.

But talks have stalled with the ex-Southampton manager still interested in Man United star and former Saints midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.

That means Liverpool could come in with a bigger offer and tempt Witsel to pick Klopp over Koeman.

Stoke have tracked Witsel for some time with Zenit director Maxim Mirofanov admitting that they made an offer of around £12m in January.

But it was dismissed by the Russian club who were holding out for the kind a fee that Everton - and now Liverpool - are willing to pay.