"It's time for me to leave..." - Liverpool target Enzo Le Fee tells his club he's ready to quit

Liverpool have been handed a major transfer boost, as a reported midfield target has told his current club that "it's time for me to leave".

Lorient midfielder Enzo Le Fee, who has also been linked with a move to fellow Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, has spoken of his desire to leave the Ligue 1 club this summer.

In an interview with Le Telegramme, the 23-year-old admitted that he has a "special link" to Lorient, but insisted that "he hopes to leave this summer" in order to ensure his transfer brings money to the club.

"It’s time for me to leave. I have a special link with this club [where he was trained and signed his first professional contract] and that’s why I still wanted to extend at the start of the season," he said.

“I waited for a contract proposal from FC Lorient until December. It never came. Now I don’t expect anything from the club and I won’t extend any more.

“I hope to leave this summer so that my transfer brings money to FC Lorient. Otherwise, I’ll be free to sign up anywhere next winter, less than six months from the end of my contract."

A Jude Bellingham alternative?

Liverpool's rumoured interest in Le Fee has been amplified by doubts surrounding their ability to pursue a deal for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham has long been linked with a move to the Merseyside club, but recent reports suggest that Jurgen Klopp's side has fallen behind Manchester City and Real Madrid in pursuit of the highly-sought after 19-year-old.

As reported by David Ornstein, the "expected price and financial power of rivals [Manchester City and Real Madrid] puts Liverpools hopes [of a deal to sign Jude Bellingham] in doubt".

Ornstein adds that Liverpool's pursuit of Bellingham "is not off" but states that the sense is that City and Madrid are in a stronger position.