Liverpool are one of several Premier League sides credited with transfer interest in Borussia Monchengladbach's impressive goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas.
Nicolas is currently sidelined with a serious muscular injury which is expected to keep him out until the latter stages of the current campaign, but the 27-year-old has garnered plenty of admirers when fully fit and available.
After an itinerate career dotted around the lower leagues of German and Dutch football, Nicolas was promoted to Gladbach's number one last season. The Gladbeck-born shot-stopper hit a new level of form this term, with his imperious reflexes and ease on the ball helping his boyhood club climb above Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table.
Despite his fitness struggles, German publication SPORT BILD report that Nicolas is a target for Liverpool and in particular goalkeeper coach Fabian Otte who has been actively scouting his compatriot - as has senior Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Nicolas boasts the second-best save percentage across the Bundesliga, rebuffing more than 78% of the shots he has faced. This term alone, the German custodian has prevented almost seven goals more than the average goalkeeper based on the quality and quantity of efforts fired his way.
Otte will be well aware of Nicolas' talents after serving as his goalkeeping coach at Gladbach just last season. In the event that Nicolas does arrive on Merseyside, he will be prepared for Otte's infamously eccentric coaching methods, which include the use of specially designed eye patches and glasses to hone a player's peripheral vision.
Liverpool are not short of test subjects for their self-styled "crazy professor" to experiment on. Alisson has produced some of the greatest performances of his legendary Liverpool career this season, while Caoimhin Kelleher has scarcely put a glove out of place during the Brazilian's spells in the treatment room.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is also set to join up with the Reds this summer and has warned all concerned that he is gunning for Alisson's number one spot.
This doesn't leave an obvious slot for Nicolas to fill, but further churn between the posts is expected at Anfield. Kelleher has made no secret of his displeasure with constantly serving as Alisson's understudy and is heavily expected to move on this summer. The same may be true of current third-choice Vitezslav Jaros, who has been tipped to go out on loan next term.
Nicolas is thought to only cost around �4m and Gladbach are said to be in no position to turn down any financial offer.
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