RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer has said playing in the Premier League is ‘not a must’ for him as he considers his next club amid rumoured interest from Liverpool.
Laimer was recommended to Manchester United at the end of last season by former interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who worked closely with the player as director of football at both Leipzig and partner club Red Bull Salzburg.
Arsenal, Tottenham and Aston Villa were the other Premier League teams to have made checks on the Austria international.
Leipzig head coach Domenico Tedesco also ruled out a sale to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in late August.
“A hasty departure is not my thing. If I were to change clubs, I would want to think it through and decide calmly, not overnight,” Laimer told BILD.
“Especially since the first half of the season is very short anyway due to the World Cup and you wouldn’t have had time to settle in and find your feet.
“The Premier League is nice, but for me it’s not a must. It’s much more important to me: how do people talk to me, what feeling do I have about something.”
Liverpool wanted to sign Aurelien Tchouameni during the summer transfer window but later resisted dipping into the market after the Frenchman chose Real Madrid. But concerns over midfield depth amid a number of injuries saw the Reds eventually secure a loan for Arthur Melo on deadline day.
